


To be King

by TheSemantics



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Beth and rio get it done, F/M, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, what if, will they wont they....they do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:28:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 36,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27412735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSemantics/pseuds/TheSemantics
Summary: Set final episode of season 2, re-write from there about a different path Beth could have taken, changing her life and those around her. Was it just because of the hold Rio seems to have or has he brought out the real Beth?
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio, Rio - Relationship
Comments: 92
Kudos: 289





	1. Helping hand

The bag comes off her head, Beth breathes in sharply, her eyes adjusting to the light and her body still in shock, Rio stands in front of her, his mouth twisted into a wicked smile,

“What the hell are you doing?” she yells connecting with his chest as she pushes him backwards.

He laughs softly at the fire in her eyes and the strength in her push as he slightly trips backwards.

“You know you always saying I aint helping, here I am helping” he sweeps his hands as if it’s a gift towards a bloodied Turner tied to the pole in the middle of his empty apartment.

Beth stares at Turner in horror, then looks back at Rio, his lips curled into his signature smirk,

“How is this helping?” she finally asks trying to calm her breath.

“He is your problem, now you can solve it”

“I already had solved it”

“Na darlin, you hadn’t, he knows your game now you think he is just gonna walk away?”

“I had it solved” she repeats

“You had one part solved, you got your boy to show up. But what about the other body?” he laughs “Oops so I might have let that one slip. Guess now you know what you have to do”

Rio squats down in front of the bleeding agent and grips the bruised chin harshly, pointing his face towards her, Turner begins to panic, his eyes pleading. Rio stands up and walks back towards her with his swaggering gait, he pulls out his gun and cocks it before handing it to her. She hesitates, his gaze doesn’t waver as he patiently waits for her to take the gun, she eventually reaches her hand out and takes it. Turner’s muffled cries get louder, Rio moves to stand inches from her as they both turn to look at the agent.

“You got this darlin. Just like I showed you” he whispers

Beth stares at Turner, trying to ignore his pleas for help she instead thinks of everything she could lose, her freedom, possibly her life with the murder charge, definitely her children. There was no way he was going to let this go, especially as he now knew where to find a body to charge her. This was the only choice. Her eyes lock with his and he shakes his head realizing she has made up her mind. Beth closes her finger over the trigger and pulls twice, then looks away, not wanting to see the result.

She feels Rio’s hand over hers as he lowers the gun and slips it out of her grip.

“You did good darlin’” he says casually placing the gun back in his back pocket. He moves in front of her, “the bathroom is over there, maybe have a shower, get yourself together”  
  
She moves like a zombie in the direction he points and closes the door behind her, knowing she can never go back from the line she has crossed. Her hair is a mess from the static of the bag and black trails run down her cheeks from her bleeding eye make up. She cant bring herself to fully stare herself down and breathes heavily as she turns from the sink towards the shower.  
The water is scalding as it hits her face but her skin doesn’t sting, she is numb.  
After what feels like an eternity, she turns off the tap and rests her head against the tiles, closing her eyes and seeing Turner’s head thrown back with the force of the bullet, she hadn’t turned away quick enough. There is a soft knock at the door.

“Yo mama I got a towel” a hand reaches in extending a fluffy cream towel.

She steps out of the shower, it was him or me she thinks walking towards the door, taking a second to realize Rio’s politeness by keeping the door mostly closed. She takes the towel and he closes the door. She moves back to the sink, wiping the condensation off the mirror to see her streaked reflection. This is the same face that has starred back at her for 30 plus years but right now she doesn’t recognize it. The stare is cold, the eyes distant. She turns away from the mirror and dries herself repeating it was him or me to make herself feel better.  
She walks out of the bathroom, Rio is looking out the front window, Turner is gone.

“Where’s the body?” she asks.

He turns to her, “Taken care of. This one is on me” he smiles.

“So you can blackmail me with it later?”

“Na, you did good” His expression is serious and his voice is soft “Come on I will drive you home”

“How do you do it?” she asks him, he has pulled the car up to the curb out the front of her house. He turns the ignition off and looks at her

“You just do, you wanna be the king you have to do a few executions” his reply is cold as he blinks slowly at her

“So it gets easier every time? You don’t feel…” she trails off

“I wouldn’t say easier, you just don’t feel anything know what I mean?”

“What, ever?”

He laughs, “Na, just keep it separate. It’s just business darlin.”

“So you don’t think about it when you're with your son?”

He doesn’t reply, instead just stares at her, she can see his tongue pushing against the inside of his bottom lip in annoyance, when she had brought his son up before it never elicited much conversation.  
She moves to open the door and step out

“it’s just business darlin” he repeats again, starting the car back up, “Go in pour yourself a drink and consider yourself lucky you’re not going to jail” she nods and closes the door, he peels out and she walks to the door.

The house is dark and silent, she walks into the kitchen and heads straight for the bourbon, she pours a generous glass and slides down against the kitchen cupboards gripping the drink tight to her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my first work, this will be a continue on piece, here's hoping its worth reading!


	2. There's always a choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback it's much appreciated, just a short update but the next chapter will be longer.

“You’re up early” Dean’s voice breaks Beth’s stare. “Jeez Beth little early to be drinking”

She looks down at her untouched glass, shakes her head trying to rouse herself out of her stupor and stands up.

“You ok?” he asks.

“I think you should take your kids to your mothers for a while” she pours the bourbon down the sink, then places her hands flat on the cold steel.

“Why? Is everything ok?” Dean walks over to her, but she doesn’t answer

“Beth is everything ok?” he repeats, his voice rising, again she doesn’t answer

“It’s him isn’t it?”

“it’s not about him Dean, it’s just they will be safer there for a few days”

“Safer? Why wouldn’t we be safe here in our own home?” his brow furrows.

She pushes off the sink and turns to him

“Just do it Dean” she has found her stride and her voice is sharp with authority.

“Maybe we will stay more than a few days” he snaps at her and walks out of the kitchen.

“Maybe that’s for the best” she murmurs quietly to his retreating form.

She wraps Jane up in a hug, “Just enjoy time with grandma ok sweetie.” Jane doesn’t reply and the other three in the car don’t even look at her, they didn’t want to go, didn’t understand why they had to go. Dean hadn’t been much help in making it any easier but she had insisted it was so they could spend some time with their grandmother. Dean takes Jane’s hand and leads her away, Beth forces herself to smile and wave as they pull out of the driveway. Walking back inside she locks the door behind her and heads to the kitchen, changing her mind about that bourbon, she needed sleep but she knew the second she tried to close her eyes she would be plagued with visions of Turner’s pleading face. She would have to deal with those images sooner or later, but she knew she couldn’t do it with a zero-blood alcohol count, she had to give herself a chance at least.  
The honey liquid splashes into the glass as she watches it fill above her standard measure, she doesn’t bother capping the bottle and lifts the glass to her lips, the sweet aroma filling her nostrils and taking a slight edge off her nerves. She slams down half the measure in her first gulp, her throat warming as it goes down, her shoulders loosening, the glass empties as it touches her lips for a second time. She feels the sting of exhaustion piercing her eyes when she closes them, taking a deep breath, Rio’s apartment vivid in front of her, she snaps her eyes open again and reaches for the bottle, refilling her glass.

His apartment, she takes another swig, he said he would get rid of the body, that this one was “on him” but he hadn’t said anything about what he would do with the footage. When she had pulled the trigger the last thing on her mind was Rio’s penchant for home security even if that place was no longer his home. He certainly wasn’t above blackmail and right now he had clear as day evidence of her shooting a federal agent, an incapacitated bound and gagged federal agent. Ok so technically she had a choice when she shot him, she could have turned the gun on Rio himself but then what? Have his gang hunt her down anyway, kill every single person she cared about? Yes she had crossed the line by killing Turner but in that split second she made the decision she knew at least the FBI can only target her, if they got her. What Rio’s associates could do to her family was something she didn’t even want to contemplate.

“I didn’t have a choice” she says out loud firmly, trying to silence her doubts.

“There’s always a choice darlin”

Beth nearly drops her glass in shock, spilling most of the bourbon over herself, Rio is leaning casually against the kitchen door frame, running his long fingers along his palm, his dark eyes looking up at him.  
She composes herself and reaches for the cloth, dabbing at her top.

“Not on this occasion” she says dismissively

“Well sure there was, you could have walked away, you could have shot me” his lips slowly turn upwards into a smirk as if he knew what she had just been thinking, she stays silent.

“Bit early for a drink isn’t it? Kids at school?”

“They are with Dean at his mothers”

He takes that as an invitation to walk fully into the kitchen, taking a seat at the bench.

“Oh, empty crib then. Rough night?” he asks

“Well it certainly wasn’t a normal one” she responds.

“Depends on your perspective I guess” the smile still there

She doesn’t respond.

“So another work day it is then”

Beth looks up shocked, “I can’t go to work today”

“why?”

“Because I..” she looks around and whispers even though the house is empty “Killed a man last night”

“Oh and that means a day off? Shit, I should have more vacation days” the smile is back to a smirk

“Not everyone is a psychopath” she stops herself already regretting the words

“I guess that’s why you will never be the boss” he stands to walk out of the kitchen, “Take the morning, lets meet this afternoon we have things to discuss.” He is gone before she can respond.

Giving up on the dregs of her drink she puts the glass in the sink and walks out of the kitchen heading for another shower.


	3. Insurance

The cell phone buzzes forcing Beth’s eyes away from her reflection and to the edge of the bathroom basin, it’s Annie.

“Noah left” her voice is thick with tears

“Annie I am so sorry” Beth tries to comfort her but even she can tell her words are empty,

“He just got transferred and was happy to go”

Beth pushes the speaker phone button and unwraps her towel to begin to dry herself, she had opted for an attempt at sleep before a shower and honestly had felt worse for it. Her dreams had flicked between scenes of Turner’s bloodied body to her holding a gun against Dean’s head to her children visiting her behind bars. It had been shocking and more tiresome than not trying to sleep at all, she had given up after waking up in a cold sweat around the two-hour mark and jumped straight up for the shower.

“He just said he was getting transferred and he was leaving”

“Well maybe it is for the best Annie, he did lie to you”

“He helped us Beth” her tone is filled with anger; it was always easier for Annie to deal with anger than sadness so perhaps Beth was helping.

“I know, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. I will come round. I just have to do something first”

She thinks about Rio coming back to talk, it will be about the tape it has to be. She heads into her room with the phone and stands in font of her dresses hanging. She makes a deliberate choice with going with the navy button down dress, it hugged in all the right places and she needed every advantage she could get at the moment.

“Why what do you have to do?”

“Just a meeting Annie, but I also might have an idea. Give me a few hours I will be there, and I will bring the wine. Love you” she hangs up before Annie can protest and pulls the dress of the hanger and proceeds to dress, thinking she wouldn’t be surprised if he were downstairs already.

# Pulling the tray out of the oven and placing it on the stove she slides the ovenmitts off her hands, he hadn’t shown but it had given her enough time to ensure the house smelled welcoming, homely.

“Mmm what is that cinnamon?”

She hears his voice before she sees him stride into the kitchen as if he were at home.

“Yes” she uses a spatula to plate one up for him, pushing the bun in front of him as he stands across from her.

“Not looking for a favour, are we?” the way his eyes travel up her form confirms she had picked the right dress, but of course he knew what was happening.

“No” she replies innocently widening her eyes “Just thought we could have a snack whilst we discuss...” she trails off

“Business?” he suggests “Or you got a question first” his smug smirk forces her to lose her hostess smile

“About the tape...” she starts

“There it is” he laughs

“You said this one was on you, so if that were really true you wouldn’t need a tape”

“What tape might that be mama?” he asks feigning innocence

“I know you have surveillance in your loft”

“Right, right that tape” he nods

“So, can I have it?” her tone is terse

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because you said,” she stops to correct herself “You implied that there wasn’t going to be any repercussions from this”

“Did I say that?” he cocks his eyebrow pointing at his chest,

“Yes” she grits her teeth

“Huh, that don’t sound like me” he shrugs “Although it was a pretty out of character night all round huh” he picks up the cinnamon bun and takes a bite

“So can I..”

“Mmm damn mami that is tasty” he cuts her off and finishes his mouthful. “Na, I think I will be keeping that. Insurance you know, you hope you don’t have to use it but damn it comes in handy if you do”

Her eyes flare and she moves to stand squarely in front of him on the other side of the bench

“So, it is blackmail”

“Nah sweetheart I wouldn’t put it like that. Like I said insurance”

His lips twitch in amusement at the fire in her eyes as she squares up to him, then it flickers,

“So I'm right back to where I was, my life ruined only now I just…” she trails off again, dropping her eyes to floor surprised at how honest she is about to be with him “I just don’t feel… anything” she eventually finishes.

He uses his index finger to gently brush the hair from her face then tilts her chin up to look him in the eye. The smirk is gone, his gaze warmer as he leans down placing his lips on hers. The kiss starts soft as he gauges her response, she pushes up into him and his hand moves to circle her waist pulling her into him tighter, the kiss becomes rough and quick. One of her hands grips behind his head pulling him into her harder her fingernails sliding up the nape of his neck. Her heart pounds and she rips at his shirt, urging him to be closer to her now that she can finally feel something, desperate to be feeling the heat of his skin, she fumbles with the buttons finally exposing his smooth caramel chest.

“God I want to taste you again” he says picking her up with ease and forcing her backwards onto the bench, he begins framing his hands down her body as his lips follow, hiking up her dress and pulling her underwear down. His mouth kisses her pelvic bone roughly and he spreads her legs, moving his hands to her ass to lift her hips slightly up towards him as he buries his face into her, groaning as he does so. He flattens his tongue and slowly drags it upwards tensing the tip to a point. Her hands instinctively reach for his head to run through this hair as she lets out a soft moan

His voice is muffled as he mutters “Fuck you taste delicious”

She moans again and he alternates between slow licks and letting his bottom lip drag up, never changing his speed.  
He moves a hand to shape her hip as he runs it up across her stomach, pushing her shirt up. He tucks under her lower back and gently lifts for better leverage. Her moans become louder and more consistent but still he doesn’t alter his speed, lapping her up he finds himself groaning again, trying to ignore how hard his throbbing cock is.

“Oh, fuck not yet” she moans running her hand through her hair, tugging it tightly.

He stops and pulls his face away, she lifts her head and looks down at him, confused and irritated.

“I want you to beg me to let you cum” he says, eyes dark and serious. “I want you pleading me to let you cum”

He lowers his head again, teasing and forcing her to shudder in delight but not the body altering climax she is craving. He darts his tongue upwards, angling for the top as she positions her hips down pleading him to satisfy her.

“Please Rio” she whispers out of breath.

He buries his face deeper, gently using his teeth to help his tongue trace everywhere but her clit, eating as if she is his last meal.  
She starts to whimper, instinctively closing her legs tightly against either side of his head, her fingers pressed on his scalp.

“Please” she begs again “Please” her cries getting louder.

In several quick motions he flicks his tongue upwards, he hears her near scream in pleasure and he applies more pressure with the base of his tongue and curls the rest around her clit, cupping the lowermost part with his bottom lip, rounding his mouth and sucking slowly as she cries his name. Her body tenses and then goes limp, her grip loosening on his hair.  
He laps up every drop of her as if she is the most satiable meal he has had in months, her body quivering with every motion. When he feels her body stop writhing and the exhaustive panting of her breath pique again, he stands, his own breath haggard as he takes in the site of her flat dewy stomach, rising quickly with every breath she struggles to regain. He unbuckles his belt preparing to make her cum that hard again as he feels his dick straining against his pants, bursting to be let out, he pulls his pants low enough to release his cock and without warning he thrusts into her hard and quick making her gasp in surprise and delight. He grips her ass with both hands, hoisting her up to wrap her legs around him as he pushes hard again. Her hands move to the edges of his shirt, hastily pushing it off his shoulders and laying her mouth hot onto his chest,

“Fuck you’re tight” he breathes into her neck and pushes into her harder, she bites down hard leaving the beginnings of a bruise.

“Tight and so wet” he says pulling his face back to stare at her. He lunges hard again and her eyes close involuntarily with the force, her teeth closing over her bottom lip.

“God you feel so good” she moans into his neck, scratching his skin with her teeth “Don’t make me beg again” she nips hard at him.

His thumbs and forefingers cup her hips as he pulls her closer into him, his thrusts continue hard and fast  
  
“Fuck I’m gonna cum” he warns

She rotates her hips redirecting his strokes and gyrating slow and long against him, trying to pull him as close as she can into herself.  
His brow furrows and his eyes flash dark as he stares her down, she never blinks just continues to drag him into her deeper,

“Oh god” his eyes close and she feels a powerful release spill inside of her as she moans again.

Catching his breath exhausted, he drops his head onto her chest, feeling the soft lace of her bra against his cheek. He hadn’t realised her nails were still dug into him until he felt her loosen her grip leaving indentations in his shoulders, deep enough to break the skin. He can hear her heart thumping I her chest and the after shocks of her body quivering beneath him, he has had his fair share of women but this one was definitely different. She makes the first move to disentangle as she pushes him gently, he pulls out of her and steps back, tucking back into his jeans sticky and hot with her. Smoothing down her dress she looks down at her torn underwear and removes it fully, standing and heading straight for the bin and out of his embrace. She rebuttons the top of her dress and shakes her hair, flicking her hand through it to put it back in order. When she turns around, she sees him buttoning his own shirt, his eyes following her as he does so.

“Definitely helps bring back feeling” he smirks at her

“You should go” is her only response, “We can discuss the money tomorrow” the tone authoritative enough to make him listen, he nods

“Sure, see you tomorrow Elizabeth” he picks his gun up off the bench and tucks it into his back pocket before he walks out of the kitchen not looking back.


	4. Propositions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a long time since I have written anything and it feels incredible to be inspired again, thanks to those reading along :)

“Because men can suck” Ruby says unsympathetically “And you have a tendency to pick the suckiest ones” and honestly

“He is a good man” Annie defends

“Yeah real good, lied about being a federal agent so he could get close to you so he could send all our asses to prison” She waves her glass encircling the three of them. “Right Beth?”

Beth pulls herself from her day dream and looks at the girls “Mhm?” she hadn’t been paying attention

“What is up with you girl? You haven’t been here all night” Ruby finishes her drink and stands to grab the bottle, refilling Annie’s coffee mug before her own.

“Sorry just distracted” Beth hadn’t been able to stop thinking about this afternoon, she had slept with him in her house before but not brazenly out in the open, she feels her a flush run up her chest as she thinks about him laying her on the kitchen bench.

“Yeah with what?” Ruby doesn’t look amused, “Something more important than what’s been going on here?”

Beth readjust the cross of her legs and smooths her dress down, reminding herself she replaced her panties and could still feel him sticky on her thighs.

“There’s just been a lot to process is all” she smiles smally to herself, she feels like a different person from this morning, last night’s events far from her mind until

“You think Turner is going to keep coming?” Annie asks looking up from her mug

The mention of his name brings her back to the reality of the situation

“No” she says a little too quickly

“Wow that’s confident, you think Boomer turning up will just make everything go away?”

“I uh...I don’t know. I just think he isn’t going to be targeting us anymore, he made a bit of a fool out of himself”

“Got that right” Annie confirms

“So now just our next biggest problem, how do we deal with gang friend?” Ruby is all business

“I actually have an idea about that,” Beth answers trying to brush aside the tingle she feels at the mention of Rio.

“Oh yeah and what’s that? Turn him in as a bribe to make them leave us alone?” Annie is more sardonic than ever

“No, ask to up our partnership”

“You mean get more involved with the dangerous gang leader?” Ruby is incredulous

“We still need the money, don’t we? Nothing has changed”

“So, what are you thinking?” Annie asks seriously

“I made something” Beth reaches into her bag and pulls out some notes, she hands one each

“Your tipping us?” Annie raises her dark eyebrows confused.

“Look at it properly” Beth tsks shaking her head at her sister

“Its fake” Ruby says studying the note

“I know, I made it” Beth grins proudly, cinnamon buns hadn’t been the only thing she had been making that day.

To look at her other than the dark circles she couldn’t fully conceal under eyes it wouldn’t be obvious that she had changed.

“You made these?” Annie asks clearly impressed, “I mean they don’t look 100% legit but damn its not bad” she turns it over nodding in appreciation “How?”

“It was simple really, a few real notes for legitimate base, alcohol remover and some nail polish for the sheen. Obviousley we need a real printer and some adjusting but other than that”

Beth’s lips purse slightly with pride, it needed some fine tuning, but it could work

“So, we just going to make our own money now?” Ruby doesn’t look convinced

“Yes” Beth responds simply

“And we think what? Gang friend is just going to give us his blessing and wish us the best?”

“Not exactly, we offer him a cut”

“A cut?”

Annie is still too busy assessing the note to chime in

“Yes, a cut, we continue with our other business with him but this,” she taps the note in her lap “This is ours; we should be getting at least 70”

“Right he is gonna be cool with 70” Annie laughs finally joining the conversation

“He isn’t really going to get a choice, either he takes a cut and we work together, or he doesn’t take a cut and we get it all”

“Yeah I don’t see it going that way” Ruby rolls her eyes

“Yes, so we offer him a cut. He moved on from this anyway”

“OK I’m in” of course that was going to be Annie’s response, she stands and tops up all their cups

“I don’t know...” Ruby hesitates

“Oh, come on girl we actually have a chance to make bank! You can’t say you don’t need that?”

Annie eyes her almost seductively “You know you want it” she teases

Ruby sighs in defeat “Fine. But I’m not the one putting it to him”

“I will”

“No” Beth says probably to abruptly “I will”  
The girl’s eye her suspiciously

“And why you? You still got a special relationship with him?” Annie squints at her sister

“Don’t be ridiculous” Beth brushes it off

“Oh, I’m being ridiculous?” Annie’s has double down on her usual sarcasm “Because you definitely didn’t decide to fuck the scary gang man in a bathroom?”

Beth sighs sharply “That’s not why I said I would do it. Besides that, was one time”

She had neglected to tell them about the other occasion and now the third, well she definitely wasn’t going to mention that one.

“Ladies please” Ruby interrupts “I think it would be safer if we all be there. United front you know.”

Beth hesitates, it wasn’t because she was looking for another excuse to be alone with him, despite the thrill it gave her to think about it shouldn’t happen again. It was because she doesn’t want him bringing up the tape, she wasn’t ready to talk about Turner and in all honesty she wasn’t sure if she was going to, there was no way they would look at her the same again. There was a big difference between coming to terms with having to kill a creep like Boomer and an innocent man like Turner, an FBI agent, nonetheless, Ruby would never speak to her again she was sure of that.

“Ok” she finally concedes reaching for her phone to send a text, asking for a meet.

“Ok” Ruby and Annie nod simultaneously.

Beth’s phone buzzes

“Wow must be a slow night for him”

Annie jokes as Beth opens the message

*So soon darlin?”

This time Beth is sure they see the colour rise up her neck,

*it’s business* she texts back, clearing her throat “It’s Dean” she says to the girls hating how easy it is lying to them, but only about this she assures herself.

*Shame.* is his only response.

“He is at his mother’s” she says trying to change the conversation and push aside the swell rising

“Good” Annie says quickly, swirling her mug and ignoring the look Ruby shoots her

“He obviously took the kids?”

Beth nods, glancing at her phone again, expecting more but nothing. She texts again

*My house tomorrow morning, it’s a good business opportunity* Still no reply.

#

“So, we just wait here for him to turn up? Like we have nothing better to do with our day?” Annie asks looking at her phone again for the tenth time.

“And what would you be doing?” Ruby swings her head around to ask

“Oh, you know probably not waiting around to have a gun shoved in my face?” Annie shrugs

“Would you two just stop” Beth wipes down the kitchen bench, also for about the tenth time and then wraps her hands around her coffee cup, the girls had been here for over an hour now and morning was getting away from them he hadn’t responded to her text she didn’t know if he was even going to turn up.

“What no spread for breakfast?” Rio swaggers into the kitchen

“Do you just leave your front door open?” Annie turns to Beth who rolls her eyes.

“How we doin ladies?”

Beth directs him to the couch, and he sits down, they join facing him on the other side of the room.

“So why am I here?” Rio stretches his arms out over the top of the soft material as he leans back into the cushions swinging his leg over to rest his ankle on his knee.

“We have a proposition for you” Beth says starring him down.

“Oh yeah?” he smirks cheekily “And what kind of proposition we talkin?” his eyes are locked with hers, but she doesn’t waiver, despite his obvious implication, this makes his smirk widen.

“A business one”

“Oh really?” he scoffs “And what do you three have to offer me?”

“A cut of our future endeavour and the best part”

He leans forward, running his tongue slightly over his bottom lip still only focusing on Beth

“You don’t even have to be involved”

She takes a moment to revel in the look of confusion that briefly sweeps his face, one of the few times she has been able to catch him off guard.

“Yeah? And what’s the business?” all playfulness gone he is strictly professional

Annie pulls a note out and hands it to him, Beth turns on her, she wasn’t ready to show the money yet it wasn’t perfected. Rio doesn’t even need to take it

“Hack money?” he asks eyeing it quickly “Now why would I want to be involved in that?”

“Its not finished yet, but it will be. Its going to be near perfect. Like I said you don’t even have to assume a risk”

“So why come to me? Why not just go around me and do it yourself?” he blinks lazily returning his gaze to Beth

“Because we didn’t want to leave you out of the loop and give you any reason to..” she tops to think how to phrase it

“Stick another gun in our face” Annie grimaces finishing for her

Rio chuckles, “Fair. Alright 50/50”

The girls nearly choke  
  


“No way, you aren’t doing anything towards this. 90/10 you get 10” Beth counters as if the last part wasn’t clear.

Now he scoffs “Its not even worth me coming here today for 10. 60/40”

“80/20”

“70/30 or I guess we just don’t bother at all” her stare is cold and unblinking.

A slow grin appears on his lips and he leans forward hands linked together “Alright. This doesn’t impact on the other job though”

Trying not to read more into it than what’s there Beth just shakes her head “Of course not”

He stands “Alright, I want to see if before you go spreading it though” he says as he is walking out of the room, not waiting for a reply.

“Damn girl you did some barter!” Annie coos when the door shuts behind him. Beth doesn’t say but she can’t hide the small smile playing on her lips, the numbness was gone that’s for sure and now it felt like there was a fire in her belly.


	5. Better than Good

It had taken some time (and that was being kind about it) but Beth eyes the note from every possible angle “I think it looks good” she says slowly.

“Looks good? It looks fucking perfect!” Annie squeals excitedly

“It really does” Ruby backs her up.

“Well I mean it would want to; it has taken how many batches?” Annie flicks the note gently

“As many as it took to get it right. If it was easy to do Annie then everyone would be doing it” Beth says patiently. Yes it had been an arduous few weeks but they had finally gotten the right aesthetic and texture right, she didn’t feel good about lying to her new co worker Lucy but if it meant they could start earning properly again it certainly wasn’t the worse thing she had done.

Beth had been busy, not just with the funny money but with starting a new job, perfectly planned in a custom card and print shop with access to a classic authentic plate printer and a boss who was rarely on the premises. The fact that there also was a naive graphic designer co-worker well that was simply a bonus. It also gave her somewhere to hide out, Dean and the kids were back and despite it being her idea she hadn’t informed him that he was mostly a logistical component in caring for their children. Turns out killing a man can really put things into perspective, especially if he is an innocent one. Her feelings for Dean had neutralised, not anger, not love just nothing, it had appeared that there were remnants from the numbness.

That didn’t extend to the business side of things, and unfortunately the business partner side of things, she hadn’t seen Rio since the morning they had offered him the deal although that wasn’t the last time she had thought of him. Beth had replayed that afternoon in her kitchen over and over again, trying to remember precisely how his lips felt on her skin, how gentle his touch had been but then rough in all the right places.

“Well?” Ruby’s voice breaks through Beth’s daydream

“To busy admiring her own handy work” Annie chirps in

“What?” Beth shakes her head slightly trying to dispel those incredibly distracting thoughts, “I'm just thinking about our next step”

“Ah cracking open a bottle to celebrate our impending riches?” Annie raises her eyebrows quizzically as if it weren’t obvious

“We don’t know it’s going to pass the test yet; we need to try it.”

“And whose putting their hand up for that?” It certainly doesn't sound like Ruby is volunteering

“Well we need to rough it up a bit, but I think there could be an easy way to see if it passes, we just mix it in with some real cash and feign innocence. It’s not like we made fifties” Beth is cool and confident, back to being the boss bitch.

“Sounds like you just put your hand up” Ruby offers

“Sure” The thought of getting caught for this doesn’t weigh as heavily on her as it once did, in the scheme of things passing of some fake twenties she could easily pretend were passed onto her didn’t seem that scary. A murder charge on the other hand, she had to push that thought down further than her thoughts of Rio, she had given up ignoring them when they came so vividly.

“Right we are calling it, it’s a night, Beth can barely keep her focus” Ruby slaps the table standing up

“Good idea I had better be getting home...” Annie trails off “To an empty apartment” she eventually finishes

“Stan will be wondering where I am” Ruby reaches for her handbag

Beth tucks the note back into the bulging duffel bag and zipping it closed kicks it under the nearest bench. “You girls go, I have to sort some invitations before I go, I will take this home and run them through, will let you know how I go tomorrow”

“Hurry up and get em done you look exhausted” Annie says honestly blowing a kiss goodbye.

“I won’t be here long” Beth promises watching them leave and locking the door behind them.

She returns to the back room and pours herself another glass from the dwindling bottle and looks back at the invitations. They didn’t really have to be completed tonight she just didn’t want to go home until she was sure Dean would be in bed, she had been avoiding Dean at all costs and this place was the easiest place to hide. She stiffens when she hears the bell chime at the front door, she swore she locked it, immediately her eyes scan every surface anything she can use as a weapon, the closest thing is an old fashioned letter opener, the door creaks open and her breath catches in her throat.

“Woah mama put the weapon down” Rio chuckles eyeing the silver letter knife in her hand.

Beth exhales loudly and puts it down next to her, “What are you doing here? More importantly how did you get in?”

“Oh yeah the extremely intricate security system that is a simple lock” his tone is light and playful as he smiles “It was pretty tough”

She tries to calm herself as she knows how much he enjoys seeing her flustered.

“So why are you here?”

“Pretty dangerous to lock up on your own isn’t it?” he asks avoiding her question “You never know what kind of characters are lurking around”

“Clearly” she takes a sip of her drink

“So, how’s the husband?” he asks casually studying the freshly printed invitations as if they were of any real interest to him.

“He is fine” she responds simply

“Oh yeah? Good. Enjoying his new job, is he?”

She doesn’t take his bait, doesn’t work herself into a rage demanding to know how long he has been keeping tabs on her and she can tell this annoys him.

“Well selling cars and hot tubs is pretty much the same thing” her tone still soft and even

“Just blatantly lying and cheating people” he smirks at her

“And you are an up standing citizen?”

“Well I don’t pay my taxes” he grins “But I’d say I’m more honest out of the two of us”

She scoffs “Oh please you have rarely told me the truth”

“I tell you the information you need to know, I might omit a few things Elizabeth, but I don’t lie.”

“Lying by omission is still lying”

“Leaving out information that could endanger or incriminate sounds more like a favour if you ask me” He locks his fingers together in front of him leaning against the table.

“So you came to discuss the morals of man?” she glosses past pretending not to care that she was finally given a reason for every time she had been left out of the loop.

“I could be here for something else” his smirk is back

She feels a blush creeping from her chest up her neck and heat rise between her legs, the way his lips twitch she knows he has clocked it.

“Then you have come to the wrong place” she says coolly,

“Worried your husband is gonna find out?”

“No” this isn’t delivered with as much confidence, but Rio drops it anyway

“Alright, lets see this funny money” he pushes off the table and starts to slowly walk over.

She reaches for the duffel bag and moves to heave it onto the bench, he steps closer lifting it for her with ease, so close to her she is engulfed with his scent. She tries to compose herself and unzips the bag, reaching for a note and passing it to him she watches as he analyses it carefully all playfulness gone from his face as he becomes strictly business.

“It’s good” he says finally

“I’d say better than good” she replies confidently

“Oh, been doing this a long time have we?” he scoffs

“Well no, but I would say its on par with your batch”

“Has it passed?”

“No, I’m going to try that tomorrow”

“You?” he cocks his eyebrow curious

“Yes” she blinks slowly at him

“Just a crim of all trades now are we?”

She inhales sharply at the allusion of Turner and of course he notices “I’ve washed money before”

“Yeah money you knew was going to pass”

“And this will” she doesn’t miss a beat.

A slow smile spreads across his lips at her confidence, she tries not to let her gaze drop from his eyes to watch as his tongue licks across his bottom lip, again of course he notices, and his smile grows devilish

“You been thinking about that day in your kitchen?” he asks softly stepping forward and closing what little gap remains between them. She blushes a deep red knowing her body will betray her if she does lie

“Yes”

“Even while laying next to your husband?” he runs his fingers every so softly up her arm

She gulps but maintains eye contact, her skin prickling at his touch even if it is hampered by a layer of clothing

“Thinking about me whilst your husband fucks you?” his voice is low and soft

“We haven’t had sex” she doesn’t know why she even mentions this

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“I haven’t wanted to since...” She trails off as he lightly brushes the hair from her face,

“Since I fucked you in the kitchen”

She feels her pulse quicken and her body involuntarily lean up into his

“Or since you shot a man?”

The colour drains from her face and she goes cold, even as he leans in to plant his lips on hers but she pushes him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully its ticking along ok, appreciate any comments or kudos to let me know :)


	6. Breathless

He grabs her wrist and pulls her back into him tightly, “You just pretending it didn’t happen?”

“Which part?” she feels his fingers tighten around her wrist as she glares at him

“Poor agent Turner” he clarifies

“Poor agent Turner? You’re the one who gave me the gun”

“Yeah and it needed to happen, but killing someone isn’t something you just gloss over and ignore”

She is genuinely surprised by this statement “Surely you have killed dozens of people”

“I don’t know if its dozens” he admits blinking slowly at her “But I haven’t ignored it. It’s something you have to address before you no longer get a choice about it”

Beth is stunned, this is the most honest she had seen him, his dark eyes were serious.

“And have you had someone blackmailing you about it?”

He actually smiles “Sometimes” his voice is low as if they were discussing something intimate, romantic. He pulls her into a kiss again and this time she doesn’t push him away, he drags his bottom lip over hers dipping his tongue into her mouth, he releases her wrist and instead moves to gently cup her cheek. Despite the calloused hand his touch is soft and he keeps his pace excruciatingly slow as he feels her wilt into him, her hands moving to his hips finding the bottom of his shirt and creeping her hands above the elastic of his underwear to his warm skin. His other hand runs up her bare thigh, under her dress towards the silk of her camisole and over her bra squeezing her breast, she exhales into him and he uses his body to push her backwards, his lips kiss across her jawline nibbling towards her ear and down her neck to her collarbone. Her arm moves over his shoulder and around his neck pulling him into her closer, whilst his free hand travels back down her stomach towards her panties, no teasing this time just sliding his hand straight down, he groans when he feels how ready for him she is.

“You get this wet for your husband?” he asks in between feasting on her neck

“Never” she admits and in the spirit of maintaining their current level of honesty she adds

“Just for you”

He lets out a low growl and buries himself into her neck biting down hard, he uses his long fingers to stroke her as she throws her head back in pleasure.

“Is that why you haven’t fucked him lately? Is this just for me”

He pulls back watching the effects of his handiwork before he slips his fingers inside feeling her instantly clench around him as she moans and nods in agreement, keeping her eyes closed in ecstasy as he beckons her with his fingers, his thumb moving up to make slow circular motions over her clit relishing as her moans increase.

He can’t take his eyes off her, she drove him crazy and not just in the way he was currently rock hard, this women had stolen from him, on more than one occasion, tried to send him to prison, defiantly stared him down as he held a gun against her head even though he knew she was terrified. She flittered between doting housewife to rising criminal, hell she had trusted him and taken the gun to shoot a federal agent despite the thought never having crossed her mind in a million years. She was the furthest thing from his usual type but there was something profoundly different about her that turned him on like no other.

His thoughts are interrupted as she finally opens her eyes blatantly hungry for him, moving her hands to the top of his pants to urgently unbuckle his belt, he smiles lustfully as she unbuttons his jeans and reefs them and his underwear down her hands quickly gripping his cock and guiding him towards her. He begrudgingly withdraws his fingers to trace along her pelvic bone not meeting her pace as he reaches down to her ass, pulling her underwear down as he does. She groans in frustration at his lack of urgency and his smile turns into a smirk as her eyes turn fiery

“I just want you to fuck me”

“I bet you do”

He tries not to focus on her hand running up his cock and he is hesitant to give her what she wants so soon until she pushes her body against him and crashes her lips onto his. He lifts her up with ease to wrap her legs around his waist as he pushes into her hard she bites his bottom lip moaning at the impact, he lets out a guttural growl as he maneuvers them forward to get better purchase with the bench against her lower back. Beth stares him down as he sets a rhythm, her breathing is ragged as he eyes her back unblinking, his lips curling into a diabolic smile when he feels her body tighten and draw him in further. She rocks against him and he feels himself close to the edge, he grabs her by the back of her hair pulling her head back roughly baring his teeth against her neck purpling the skin as she moans his name

“Fucken hell Elizabeth”

He feels himself cumming a lot sooner than he would have liked as she digs her nails into his shoulders and the volume of her moans increases and her body convulses leaning into him her head on his chest. She can hear his heart pounding in his chest and the thud of her own In her ears as she lays her hands flat on his hard chest breathing in his scent trying to steady herself despite him holding her with ease.  
  
“So that’s why you stopped by?” she finally speaks lifting her head

“I came to check on the money”  
  
“So its just a coincidence you happened by just as I was alone?”

“Well it might have been two reasons” his cheeky grin is back “You saying you didn’t want the night to end like this?”

Despite already being flushed she blushes deeper “Its not a bad way to end” she doesn’t fully concede.

He pulls out of her grinning as he catches the split second her eyes flutter and the involuntary gasp.

“Yeah not a bad way” he repeats after her, guiding her down but keeping her close to him.

He doesn’t break eye contact as he tucks himself back into his boxers and buttons his jeans up

“How do you we think your husband is going to feel about that?” he nods to her neck where the puckered skin of a small bite is starting to bruise

She finishes pulling her underwear back up and then hand flies to her neck flinching slightly as she touches the tender mark

“I don’t know” she really doesn’t

“Let me know how it goes, and let me know how you go with that money” he leans forward and for the first time after sex in whatever these encounters were he kisses her and against her better judgment she once more melts into him, but it is brief.

“Good luck” he says before walking out leaving her wondering if he means the money or Dean.

Her phone rings and she sighs thinking its Dean, it wasn’t it was Annie

“Please tell me you just forgot to text me when you got home?”

Beth rolls her eyes, wasn’t she the big sister in this “I'm not home yet Annie”

“Jesus how many invitations were there Beth?”

“I'm just finishing up now” she glances at her watch, time really had escaped her

“Well maybe keep me on the phone you never know who could be lurking around this time of night”

Beth smiles her body still buzzing from Rio’s touch and her thighs burning with him “True”

She grabs the duffel and her handbag, closing the back room and heading towards the front door

“What are you still doing up?”

“Duh I was waiting for your text. Plus, I can’t fall asleep as easy without Sadie here”

“She still at Greggs?” Beth locks the store door behind her and heads to her car,

“Yep, so another sleepless night for me”

Beth hears the distinct sound of a swig as she steps into her car, instinctively locking it when she is seated “Perhaps a cup of tea would help”

“This is tea” Annie fires back unconvincingly

“Right” Beth humors her, pulling the visor down to asses herself in the mirror, her face is flushed and her eyes are sparkling, he was right about her neck though the skin was angry and red and very obviously the result of teeth, she touches it lightly and her lips twitch into a small smile.

“So, what’s the status?” Annie changes the subject and once again pulls her sisters thoughts about from Rio.

“Just starting the car, I will text when I get home” she promises

“Yeah ok but this time don’t leave me hanging”

“Bye Annie’

“Bye Beth” she replies in a sarcastic mocking tone

Beth shakes her head and hangs up the phone, she studies the bite again but shutting the visor and starting up her car, she catches the flash of headlights as she sees a car across the road start. Her heart lurches assuming the worst, the FBI knew, and they were following her she feels sick and dizzy, but mostly sick. Until she sees the car as it turns down the street, it was Rio’s, her heart feels as if it is going to beat out of her chest as she tries to talk herself down, it was ok…well in terms of it not being the FBI that were tailing her perhaps not so much in the sense of the situation she had gotten herself into. She didn’t realize she had gripped the steering wheel until she looked down at her white knuckles and exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, he was probably on a work call that had held him up in his car, he wasn’t the sort to wait to make sure she locked up ok even if she had seen a different side of him tonight.

*

“I’ve never been to one of these places before” Beth says giddily to the bored looking teller “But my first pay as a working mum I figure why not add another first you know?” her smile may be to wide but that is all part of her point

“Mhm” the girl studies the note looking less interested by her

“I mean I’m how old and I’ve never been to a casino? Surely the first pay is a lucky one”

“Sure. Quarters did you say?”

“Yes, I’m going to try my luck on the poker machines, the boss’s recommendation” she adds as if she was letting the girl in on a secret. Beth smooths her dress, the most floral one in her wardrobe really trying to play up the role.

“You want four hundred dollars in quarters?”

“Oh, is that to much? How much do people usually start with?” her eyes wide and innocent

“Whatever you want lady” the teller really couldn’t care as she puts the notes in her drawer and types in four hundred and the machine begins to spit quarters into a bucket, Beth’s smile widens but this time it is genuine, just one more step. She lugs the two buckets over to the nearest machine, so she is still within ear shot, she mindlessly beings entering quarters pretending to be excited. She watches two minutes tick by on her phone before pretending to answer it and putting it to her ear, her voice deliberately loud

“Oh, hi sweetie I’m just…wait what? Oh, my is he ok?” she jumps up knocking her cup and dropping a few quarters, ensuring attention is now on her as she struggles to pick them up. “Of course, I am on my way…at the hospital? Ok I will meet you there, oh please let him be ok!” she lets her voice break and a sob escape. She pockets the phone and bundles the quarters back into her bucket, hauling them back to the teller who she had made sure heard everything

“I am so sorry I know you just emptied these out but I just got a call, my boy, my poor baby has had an accident and he…” she cuts herself off as if it’s too much.

“Mhm” the teller’s response isn’t callous just again uninterested as she weighs the quarters then counts out 397 and change in fresh clean notes. Beth thanks her and rushes out a worried mother, trying to hide the pride she felt surely, she must be beaming, she knew it would work but there was still a thrill in the notion that it might not.

“


	7. Pass or fail

Beth closes her car door her heart still racing even though this was technically step one in a two-step verification process she couldn’t help but feel a little smug. She was much calmer at the next stop and when it passed the pen test, she was walking on air out of there, the possibilities here were endless.

“So that’s the easy part done” Annie clinks her glass against the girls

“Oh, that’s the easy part?” Beth asks

“Well yeah, now we have to figure out how we actually launder the money.”

Ruby’s smile drops, “Right, so maybe we should be holding off on the celebration”

Annie takes a big sip “Fuck no, we celebrate anyway our money can pass, it just means now we have to get a bit more creative.”

Beth had been thinking about this since coming back from the dress shop “I have an idea to start us off, its not long term but it definitely gets the ball rolling.”

Ruby and Annie lean in expectantly

“The casino.”

“Oh, hell yeah, I haven’t been to the casino in forever!”

“I'm not talking about playing Annie I'm talking about washing it. If you play a table, they deposit the notes there and give you chips, as long as you play a little you can cash the chips at the teller without looking suspicious. They don’t empty the tables till either a certain limit is reached, or a shift finished so no chance of crossover”

“When did you become such a boss bitch?” Ruby looks at her admiringly

Beth smiles and takes another sip of her drink “Maybe I’ve always been this way?”

Annie rolls her eyes “I do remember you learning how to launder money as a teenager”

“It’s going to work. Short term anyway but it gives us time to think of the next plan”

Ruby eyes Beth suspiciously “What is going on with you? You seem…. different?”

“I'm just organized. This is going to work you guys and think of the weight off our shoulders. It’s ours we aren’t indebted to anyone”

“Well except the cut we have to give gang friend”

“But we aren’t working _for_ him this time Annie we are working for us” Beth’s smile is triumphant.

“You’re right she is different” Annie nods in agreement at Ruby and then turns back to focus on Beth her eyes scanning her sisters face and then dropping to the top of her collar “What’s that on your neck?”

Beth blushes, she had covered the bite with makeup but there was only so much she could do with her porcelain complexion without it drawing more attention to it.

“It’s just a bruise” she tries to dismiss it

“Yeah a love bruise maybe” Annie accuses, “I thought Dean was just home again for convenience please don’t tell my you have forgiven him and gone back to normal?”

Beth tries not to let her relief show of course Annie will think its Dean, they have no reason to assume otherwise.

“Well I guess that explains why you are different, getting a bit lucky are we” Ruby finally chirps in an attempt to lighten the mood

“Eww” Annie grimaces finishing her drink.

Beth hadn’t seen Dean since yesterday afternoon and was hoping to avoid him until the bruise at least looked less like it was left by a mouth, a dangerously skilled mouth at that. She feels herself blush deeper thinking about the way he looks at her with his hooded eyes as he drags his teeth over his plump bottom lip, her expression must betray her

“Jesus you look like a schoolgirl” Annie rolls her eyes “Disgusting”

Ruby laughs “I'm glad things are getting back to normal for you, we could all enjoy a little bit of normality”

“Well normality with money” Annie grins shaking her empty glass at Beth for a refill.

“Amen to that” Ruby drains her glass and leads it forward next to Annie’s.

Beth’s phone buzzes and her pulse quickens, she had sent Rio a message earlier with a simple thumbs up curious if it would invite a response, it had.

“Deansey just checking in, is he?” Annie rolls her eyes

Beth purses her lips trying not to smile, she had wondered if he was going to be all business, he wasn’t.

*Went unnoticed then, is that really a good thing? *

“Eww and now you are sexting? Get me a bucket” Annie pretends to vomit at Beth’s reaction to her phone. Now Beth rolls her eyes, she doesn’t want to respond with the girls here, so she puts her phone away  
  


“Can you just concern yourself with someone else’s personal life?”

“Happy to” Annie reaches for her bag, “And speaking of I’m going to go home to my non-existent one. Although Sadie is going to be home tonight” she finishes with a grin

“Say hello” Beth calls after her departing back “And don’t forget tomorrow we hit the casino”

“I should be getting back to Stan and the kids.” Ruby stands reaching for her own bag “Beth If working things out with Dean is what you want, I’m happy for you” she smiles encouragingly

“Thanks Ruby” she is hit with a pang of guilt for the first time lying to her best friend.

“It will be good for the kids too” Ruby adds, really driving it home, she grabs her keys out and smiles again waving as she leaves the kitchen.

“Bye Ruby” She says softly.

The guilt she was feeling had nothing to do with Dean, after all the man had lied to her about multiple life altering things, cancer being the most recent. There was nothing in her left for him, if anything she figured see out the rest of the kid’s childhood and leave when Jane has moved out. The knot that had formed in her stomach was tied with feelings of betrayal to the closest people in her life, her sister and best friend. They had already been through so much together she should be able to tell them about Rio but she didn’t like the reaction it was going to garner, they had been less than impressed the first time, once Ruby had finally had her question of whether it was good answered that was.

Beth knew she was always going to have to keep one secret if she could, she had played the possibility of explaining about Turner over and over again, there was no good outcome scenario. It was best to keep it to herself, that is if she trusted him when he told her the tape was purely insurance. There was no intention of giving him a reason to use it, with the new money caper she wouldn’t be tempted to skim any off the top as they were going to be able provide for themselves. Although she wasn’t ready to bet that he wouldn’t simply use the tape to implode her life for amusement she knew she was at least useful while bringing in money, Rio was a businessman first and foremost, if it didn’t benefit him he didn’t play. Despite whatever she had thought she felt between them last night she wasn’t naive enough to think it would be the deciding factor in whether to throw her under the bus or not. Pulling her phone towards her she smiles; didn’t mean she couldn’t benefit in some way, but she is interrupted when the front door opens and Dean walks in.

“Hey” he grins at her as he walks into the kitchen.

She tucks her phone into her pocket “Hi” she plasters a stepford smile on her face “You’re home early”

“Yeah, I thought I would cut out early, spend a bit of time with my lovely wife, maybe pick the kids up today. I feel like I’ve barely seen you lately”

“Yeah it’s been busy”

He looks at the empty glasses “Bit early for a drink isn’t it?” he motions towards the bottle

“We were celebrating” she says simply

“Oh yeah what?”

“Ruby got a promotion” she says easily.

“Oh, good for her”

“Yes, it is good for her” this is why she had been avoiding him, the awkward small talk she just didn’t feel like doing.

“What’s that?” Dean asks confused,

“What?” she feigns innocence

“On your neck. Did you hurt yourself?” he leans in closer, reaching out to move her collar but she swats his hand away

“It’s nothing. Just a bruise” she dismisses him and stands up reaching for the glasses to take to the sink. He follows her around the bench and into the kitchen, grabbing her arm when she stops and spinning her around,

“Don’t touch me like that” she wrenches her arm back from him her eyes staring daggers

“I’m sorry” he falters momentarily but this close he can see her neck properly

“Are they teeth marks?” he asks eyebrows furrowed in shock

She doesn’t say anything,

He moves back from her looking confused and hurt.

He coughs to clear his throat, “Um who?” he looks down at his feet as if he doesn’t want to hear the answer

“You don’t know him” she replies simply

“Is it uh…an ongoing thing?” he still looks at his shuffling feet

“No, one-time thing”

“Why? Was it some kind of revenge thing?”

“No, it wasn’t about revenge” this time she is honest

“So, what was it about?”

She shrugs, he finally looks up and her cold expression tells him she isn’t ready to talk

“I’m gonna go get the kids” he says defeated, picking his keys back up and walking out of the kitchen. She didn’t feel guilty but a small part of her was almost triumphant at the look on Dean’s face, when she had found out about his secretary then the money he had ripped her world apart, for her to then find out that dumb blonde wasn’t the only one, well that had stung even more. To see his face crumble like that really resonated with the petty part of her.

The kids had come barreling through the door, but Dean headed up straight upstairs and Beth wasn’t exactly running after him. All throughout the evening routine with dinner bath books and bed she was focusing on other avenues to wash the cash and it had come to her when she was putting Jane to bed and all she could focus on was the casino.

Walking into the kitchen to grab a drink she spots a figure sitting on her picnic table, the moon is full, and she can make out his profile. She closes the kitchen door behind her quietly and steps off the table,

“What are you doing here?” she whispers

“You didn’t reply, thought I’d come check how you went”

“My kids are asleep; my husband is upstairs”

“Oh yeah, why aren’t you tucked in next to him?”

“I’ve been planning”

He grins at her “Planning huh? Planning what?”

“Planning where I’m going to take my money”

“Your money?” his grin grows

“Yes, my money”

“Pass did it?”

She can’t help but beam at him, “It sure did”

“Where did you try it?”

“That’s not really for you to know now is it”

He steps closer to her and reaches his hand out; she thinks he is going to brush her hair from her face but he gently uses his long finger to slip under collar and flip it over to expose her neck

“Not doing a very good job concealing there” he says softly

“Perhaps someone should be a little more discreet in future” she counters

“In future huh” he steps even closer “You seem pretty confident its gon happen again”

A red blush rushes up her neck, but she keeps her voice steady “Doesn’t faze me either way”

He chuckles, “Oh yeah?”

She stares him down till he gives first

“What if I promise no more marks above the shoulders”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos and comments, I appreciate the feedback from you beautiful people


	8. Spare Time

He trails his finger softly over the bite and down where the line of her shirt meets her skin, her skin prickles and he grins as he notices her involuntarily lean into his touch.

“What did carman have to say about it?” the tips of his fingers find their way back up to the bite

Again, she doesn’t answer, his grin twists into a smirk “He know it was me?”

She rolls her eyes, his smugness finally causing her to react “No”

“Yeah? Who does he think did it?” his hand splays against her collarbone his thumb tucking under her chin and pushing himself closer to her,

“A one-night stand”

“Huh” he leans in his voice rough and low “Just the one night” his hand slips over her shoulder gripping the back of her neck as he pulls her in, contrasting his firm grip with the softness of his kiss. Her senses are overwhelmed by him and Beth momentarily forgets where they are, her hands grab at his shirt closing the little space between them, his fingers dig into her neck as he scrapes them up into her hair. The kiss deepens and his hold on her tightens, his left hand running down along the curves of her body and slipping over her ass, her hand reaches under his shirt onto his hard stomach. His pocket vibrates breaking the spell and she pulls away, remembering where she is. He is in no rush to answer it instead he blinks lazily at her, the tip of his tongue touching his top lip as he slowly smiles   
  


“You in a hurry to get back to your husband?”

“Shouldn’t you be getting your phone? Business and all that?”

“This isn’t business?” he asks mockingly, pointing to his chest

Her expression hardens “It is business”

“Relax darlin’ I was teasing” he smiles seemingly seeing through her attempt at tough exterior

His phone buzzes again and this time he does reach for it, checking the ID before answering it and turning away “Sup?”

Beth turns back to the house to see the light in her bedroom flick on and Dean’s shadow appear at the window, she rolls her eyes and turns back to Rio.

“Na don’t do anything till I get there. I’m on my way” he pockets his phone and turns back to the Beth, his dark eyes serious and smile gone

“Now this is business” he walks closer to her, clocking the shadow in the window and brushes past her, caressing her hip and leaning into her close “Sweet dreams mama”

Her breath catches in her throat and she sees the small smile on his face, nothing is getting past him, she watches him swagger away and out of the corner of her eye she sees the bedroom light switch off. She lets out a deep breath and walks back towards the house straight to the kitchen to finally get that drink. She was in two minds about whether she wanted Dean to confront her or not, although she wasn’t sure if he would put two and two together. Watching the bourbon splash into the glass she raises her spare hand to skim across her neck, ghosting where his fingers were, her heart racing still feeling his touch burned onto her skin.

Beth climbs into bed next to Dean trying her hardest not to wake him. Three drinks and a long conversation with Annie fleshing out the idea she was feeling good, wired if anything but the night had slipped away from her and she had a big day ahead tomorrow so she finally had forced herself to go upstairs to bed. She stares at the ceiling lightly tapping her fingers on the covers trying to get her mind to wind down, as if on cue her phone buzzes she reaches across and is surprised to see Rio’s name on the message, she quickly glances at Dean as if she has read it aloud but he is snoring softly and peacefully next to her.

*Thinking about me? *

She can’t help but smile, she hadn’t been outright thinking of him this time but the nerve of him to assume

*No* She replies, his name flashes on the screen as it rings, she throws back the doona and walks into the ensuite, closing the door gently behind her and turning the light on low.

“Quick response” he says not waiting for her to greet him

“I was laying in bed my phone was right next to me”

“Spare time in bed huh? Carman really doesn’t do the job properly hey”

She rolls her eyes but at the same time a warm blush runs up her neck “Business all sorted then?”

“Not on your end clearly” he chuckles

“Is this why you called?”

“I just wanted to see what you were thinking about”

His low voice takes her back to the night in the card shop, how close he was to her when he asked if she thought about him when she was in bed with Dean, her skin tingles.

“Business” she says simply

“Oh yeah? What kind of business we talkin’ sweetheart?”

“The cash kind”

“Professional.”

“Ever the professional.” She walks to the basin and stares at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes seem cold and the lines around her eyes seem deeper than they were four months ago.

“Here I thought maybe I was keeping you up”

“Not tonight” she at least gives him something “And what’s keeping you up?” she tries to picture what he is doing but struggles to picture his surroundings, when she had found his old apartment she was honestly surprised how stylish it was and could only imagine where he had moved to next had the similar sleek aesthetic.

“I was thinking about you”

His honesty throws her, their last two heated interactions had certainly exposed a different side of him

“Really?”

“Come outside”

“You’re here?” she turns, heart pounding as if he meant the bathroom itself.

“I’m in the car, want to come somewhere with me?”

“Yes” she replies before she can give herself a chance to think. She ends the call and looks around for anything she can throw on instead of her old pyjamas, her efficient home making skills were her downfall here with nothing in sight.

Gently closing the door behind her Beth scans the street, finally spying his car across the road.

“Pretty confident I was going to say yes?” she says climbing into the car

“Well you did answer pretty quickly” he smiles starting the car and pulling away from the curb.

*

Rio closes the door to his loft quietly behind her as she takes in his new place, similar vibe to the last one and looks like it could be straight out of a catalogue, once again she is impressed with his sense of style.

“I like the new place”

“It’s not new” he replies leaning against the door

“Of course, it isn’t” she feels momentarily stupid for assuming she knew anything at all about his personal life.

“The other place was new” he offers.

The room is electric as he walks towards her slowly, his finger gently tucking her hair from her face and running down her temple to cup her cheek and leans in for a soft kiss. Unlike their previous times there is no urgency, he pulls her into him as the kiss deepens and begins to walk her backwards towards his bed, he ducks his head kissing her neck while deftly unbuttoning her blouse slipping the sheer material off her shoulders exposing her black bra. He pushes her backwards onto the bed, hovering above her his arms resting either side of her as he lowers his head to press his mouth against her porcelain skin groaning as he breathes her in. Beth breathes heavier hearing his guttural reaction as he licks and sucks at her collarbone,

“I thought we said below the neck only” her voice is already hoarse

He chuckles “Little hard for me to focus” he drops his mouth to the edge of her bra, pulling at the material with his teeth and sucking at the soft fleshy skin of her breast already making her moan, he sinks his teeth into her in response. His hands tuck behind her back to unhook her bra, dragging the straps down her shoulders deliberately, stroking her gently with his long fingers her breasts finally freed he throws the lacy material onto the ground his eyes never leaving her body.

Beth’s heart is pounding in her chest as she watches his appreciative gaze run slowly down focusing on every curve and what she sees as an imperfection, but she sees nothing but animalistic lust in his eyes.

“Your husband is a fucking idiot” he runs his fingers down to the top of her jeans unbuttoning and unzipping to drag them down.

“Can we not talk about him” her hands self-consciously dropping to cover her stomach suddenly all to aware of her c section scar.

“I'm just saying you wouldn’t be having spare time sharing my bed” he reaches for her hands, gripping her wrists firmly and easily in one hand as he raises to pin them above her head “Fuck you’re beautiful”

She blushes a deep red and he drops his head crashing his lips onto her hers to stop her form objecting. He slips her panties down, growling into her when he feels how wet she is, he uses his free hand to unbuckle and slip down his jeans, his hard cock straining against the material of his boxers. She wriggles her hips closer to him, her hands still secured above her head, he reefs his boxers down and kicks them off to the floor, parting her legs with ease and pushing into her hard making her close her eyes and moan. He thrusts hard and slow, finally releasing her hands so he can tuck his behind her back pulling them up into a sitting position, her legs splayed either side of his as he embraces her, pulling her into him so tightly she couldn’t tell where his skin ended and hers began. She rests her forehead against his, her hands cupping his face, eyes locked and lips inches apart as he continues to roll his hips into her, his eyebrows crease and eyes momentarily close in pleasure. Beth plants her lips on his and he kisses her fiercely, biting her bottom lip as he feels himself close to breaking point, he pushes into her harder feeling her clench around him as she moans his name into his mouth, her body trembling against his forces him to lose it, releasing inside of her as he exhales her name willing her body to be closer to him.

Her forehead falls to rest on his chest as she tries to regain her breath, the tips of his fingers run up her warm back, he had not planned on finishing that quickly but there was no amount of refocusing that could have stopped that. She finally lifts her head, her cheeks pink and her eyes shining, she smiles almost embarrassed, he smiles back watching her chest rise and fall quickly with every breath, her perfect breasts making his cock stir again.

*

Beth stares at the ceiling absolutely exhausted, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes. She had planned on leaving two hours ago but every time she had made a move to get off the bed, he had pulled her back down and given her another mind-altering orgasm. Her legs felt like jelly and her heart probably couldn’t take another go, she hears him panting next to her and wonders if he had felt a shift. The way he had spoken to her, ravished her just as much with his eyes as his body seemed different, and although the one time they had had sex in her bedroom had been their only time in a bed until now, it didn’t compare to what had happened tonight. He had been slow and measured in every move, taking his time to enjoy her body whilst ensuring she enjoyed it more, his kisses had been almost delicate as they had skittered across her skin, the intense way he had maintained eye contact as he had brought her to the point of orgasm time and time again. Against her better judgment she feels her eyes close and his strong arms envelop her, she rolls over and into him her head finding his chest, drifting off with him bombarding almost all of her senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always the comments and kudos are always appreciated for feedback :)


	9. Back to Bussiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one in case we were thinking he'd gone soft ;)

Beth’s eyes flutter open to the sun streaming through the curtains, it takes her a second to realise it wasn’t the sun that woke her it was Rio’s lips trailing down her spine, she allows her eyes to close again and she sinks back into her pillow. The moment is ruined yet again by his phone vibrating on the bedside table, he ignores it, but it vibrates again, and his hand leaves her hip as she feels him roll over to look at the phone

“What?”

She finally turns over to look at him, he has spun to the edge of the bed his feet flat on the floor, she hadn’t studied him from this angle before and is only now seeing the scars that littered his caramel back, she wasn’t an expert but she would bet a hefty sum that at least one of them was from a knife. Couple those with the solid black lines tattooed on the backs of his arms she is reminded of his profession and the reality of the situation, it doesn’t crash her back to reality as she would have expected because she definitely isn’t the same person from even three weeks ago let alone two years ago. Beth further into the pillow and pulls the soft covers around her soaking up the comfort of his sheets, the man had taste and the thread count on these were off the charts, but it probably wasn’t the only reason it was the first time in months she had felt properly rested.

“When?” his tone has gone cold and she can see his jaw harden. “Give me twenty I just gotta get dressed” he ends the call and puts the phone down, he opens his top drawer and pulls out a pair of boxers as he stands to get dressed, she finds herself smirking slightly as she admires his firm ass.

“You want a ride?” he walks over to his dresser pulling out a perfectly folded jumper and jeans, his tone still cold.

“Um yeah, I need to be getting home” she tries not to sound let down, of course she needed to go not just because the fact she had four kids and a husband at home had completely escaped her mind until now, but what was she expecting?

“Alright, gotta stop somewhere on the way first” he walks off in the direction of the bathroom, a complete stranger to the man who was caressing her back with slow kisses not five minutes before.

She sits up looking around for her clothes, feeling incredibly naked and vulnerable despite the sheet. The thought briefly crosses her mind that perhaps he had felt a similar sense of rejection when she had placed the money on her bedside table, almost as if for services rendered, told him he had to leave and then walked out of her room. Payback perhaps. She stands up, taking the sheet with her and collects her clothes, being a loft there is no option for privacy and she fumbles clumsily with her clothes to get dressed. She is pulling on her shoes when he walks out dressed and tense, looking for his keys, he drags his thumb and forefinger down either side of his mouth clearly frustrated, it mustn’t have been a positive phone call.

“You ready?”

She nods silently and reaches for her own phone; it was on silent but there were several missed calls. Of course, they were, she was a wife and a mother who had disappeared in the middle of the night, all were from Dean. Rio holds the door open for her and she hits the call button before Dean can do something stupid like go to the police.

“Beth are you ok?” His tone is filled with worry when he answers

“I'm fine Dean. I just had something to do, I’m on my way home now”

“Where the fuck have you been?” his hushed voice tells her, he hasn’t dropped the kids off yet

“I got caught up with book club” she responds tersely, even though she had thought it was pretty obvious that it had been what she was implying.

“You scared me Beth, you can’t just disappear in the middle of the night”

It had been reckless and irresponsible, and he was one hundred percent right here but that only made Beth feel worse than she currently was

“I know. I'm sorry. We will talk about it when I get home”

“I'm going to work.” His response is cold and now she is 0 for 2 with the men in her life. Rio had walked ahead when he heard her on the phone and she quickened her step to keep up with him, pushing through the building door to head towards his car. She shakes off her insecurities and instead begins to get mad, it was him that had called her in the middle of the night waiting outside to pick her up and now he had the nerve to act as if she had done something wrong? Climbing into the car she sets her jaw to almost match the hardness of his and is already halfway through her internal pep talk that she wasn’t putting herself in this position again, as strange as it had seemed at times when she had a gun pointed at her but since the robbery, since this whole mess had started she finally felt in control of her life again. That certainly wasn’t how she was feeling now and the disdain she had for being made to feel this small was enormous, she straightened her back and reset a game face deciding she wasn’t going to feel like that anymore, she was a boss bitch.

The car starts and Rio peels out from the curb, clearly in a hurry as he drives her into a part of the city she did not recognize, not that she should have it was all derelict warehouses, there was certainly no reason for someone like her to be out here. The door to a warehouse starts to slide open and Rio drives inside, she spies Mick, his go to right hand man, pulling the door shut behind them, a brief look of confusion flashes across Mick’s face when he makes eye contact with her but then its gone and he is back to neutral. Rio pulls the car to such an abrupt halt she lurches forward slightly, instinctively gripping onto the door, his seatbelt flies off and he jumps out of the car, walking with purpose to the only thing in the room. A man tied to a chair.

Mick walks over to him and leans in to tell him something, she watches as Rio turns to look at the bound and gagged man slowly scratching his chin as he does so, expression of steel. Without any warning he has landed two quick punches to the mans face, the sound echoing throughout the empty warehouse when his fist connects, Beth gasps in shock, obviously this was going to end in violence it was just without any warning at all. Rio grabs the back of the guys head forcing him to look up at him, she still can’t hear what they are saying but clearly it is nothing good as Rio lands another punch to the already swelling face.

Rio releases the guys hair, pushing his head back as he does so and returns to Mick, they talk for a brief moment before Rio has pulled his gun out and turns and shoots the wounded man twice, barely looking at him as he does, he returns his gun in the back of his jeans and walks back towards the car. Beth’s eyes are wide, and she is shook, her mind was bombarded with images of Dean beaten, shot and bleeding at their dining room table, as well as Turner slumped on the floor in Rio’s loft. She feels sick and has to fight back the rise in her throat, swallowing hard as he climbs back into the car, his knuckles bloody as his ringed fingers take the steering wheel again, Mick once more opens the door and they drive out.


	10. Two sides

Beth tries to once again regain her composure, but she can still taste the bile in the back of her throat, the blood on Rio’s knuckles glisten as he flexes his bruised hand on the wheel. Even though she had witnessed him shooting Dean this was the first time she had seen him kill anyone, at least she was fairly sure the guy was dead. The rest of the drive is silent, he pulls up just down the road from her house, clearly having the courtesy not to pull into the driveway. Pulling the car into park he finally looks at her, his expression slightly warmer than it was this morning but his dark eyes still serious

“So, book club huh”

“Code in front of the kids” she clarifies her hand shakily reaching for the door handle

“Good books?”

Beth steps out of the car “Sometimes” she closes the door behind her not looking back at him. He doesn’t wait around long, peeling out once she has stepped away.

*Rio*

It’s not like he had wanted to take her with him, but it was a pressing issue he thought he had already dealt with last night. He had been called away from her place to deal with some inhouse bullshit and now it turns out that wasn’t even correct. He was angry the intel had been bad, that the wrong guy had copped the blame yesterday. He was even angrier that the real rat had been someone he had relatively trusted, not enough that he knew all the key information but enough for the betrayal to sting a little, they had come up together and the son of a bitch had not only stolen from him but was snitching to the feds to boot. The piece of shit had thrown a perfectly good soldier under the bus and Rio had fallen for it, this wasn’t going to go down well with the boys but at least he hadn’t killed the other guy, just had the absolute crap kicked out of him. He needed to get in touch with his contacts to find out how much the feds knew, he thought after Turner perhaps they had moved onto other projects, guess not.

That wasn’t the only reason he was angry obviously; he had woken up this morning to a fairly different experience, Elizabeth in his arms. She had spent the night, albeit manipulated by him constantly bringing her back into bed to hear her moan his name again. He had forgotten all about work and had lost himself in her time and time again, finally falling asleep intoxicated by the scent of her hair as she lay her head on his chest, tucked under his chin. They had fucked a handful of times but last night had been different the fact that she had spent the night was testimony to that. When he woke to find her still in his arms, he was a little surprised, as if he had expected her to be slinking out in the early hours, instead she was curled into him, fitting perfectly into his embrace. He had felt his cock stiffen as his eyes had ran down the contours of her body, her skin felt like silk against his and he couldn’t help but lay his lips on her back, his phone had interrupted any other plans he had.

And now he had felt a different shift when he had climbed back into the car, he hadn’t been thinking of her when he was dealing with the rat, even though she had been zigzagging back and forth over the business and personal line he, for the most part, had tried to keep her separate in his mind recently. Her face was paler than usual, and she wouldn’t meet his eyes, the tension had been palpable the entire drive to her house and she gave him nothing when she got out of the car. He had sped off angrier than he was when he had answered the phone this morning, he was also thinking of the inevitable conversation he would be having with Mick about Elizabeth being there.

*Beth*

Dean’s car was in the driveway and she felt herself falter for a moment, taking a deep breath before she walked in. He was sitting at the bench, the kids clearly already dropped off

“Book club all taken care of?” he asks sardonically

She spots the bottle before she sees his glass “Bit early for a drink” she says softly

“Oh, you are the only one who is allowed to drink in the morning? That just a Beth thing too?”

She doesn’t respond, he is pissed off and she doesn’t really have a leg to stand on at the moment

“Where were you?”

“I had stuff to take care of” she walks over to the coffee pot

“Bullshit. Were you with him?”’

She falters for a split second then regains, “Who?”

“This mystery man, the supposed one night?”

She pours a cup, thankful that she hadn’t given anything away. “No Dean, I was not. If you must know I was ensuring that our family’s mortgage was going to be paid this month. I was working on having enough money so your children can be fed and clothed”

“Going to turn that around on me again?” he stands up pushing the stool backwards

“Well it’s kind of a big deal, you don’t just get to get away with sending your family broke. So, where I have been is not really any of your concern”

She walks out of the kitchen without giving him a chance to reply and heads for her bathroom and shower. She turns the taps on and strips off, walking back to the basin to put her phone down she catches sight of herself in the mirror, it was a good thing they had agreed on nothing above the neck but her breasts, stomach and thighs were littered with bites as if he were ensuring her husband wouldn’t be able to see her naked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thanks beautiful people for reading :)


	11. Red or Black

Beth combs her fingers through her wet hair staring at her reflection, the bags under her eyes seem to have dissipated a little, probably due to having restful sleep no matter how short it was, but she still looked as if she had aged five years as opposed to two. The scene from this morning had been played on repeat in her mind, how casually he pulls the trigger but that was something she had already been witness to. With the towel wrapped around her she at least knows her planned dress for the day will be covering even the lowest mark on her thigh. Her phone buzzes on the sink and her heart skips wondering until she sees Annie’s name

“I am looking goooood. You ready for this?”

“I am not even dressed yet” a small smile on her lips as she hears her sister’s enthusiasm

“Well come on girl if we are hitting the casino I wanna be there all day!”

“Give me twenty minutes and I will be ready” she places the phone back down and pulls out the hair dryer. She hadn’t really expected it to be him but a tiny part of her thought maybe it was, even if she didn’t know what she would say to him exactly. Obviously, this morning hadn’t been about her but didn’t mean it hadn’t bruised her ego to be dismissed like that. Flicking her hair, she reaches for the red lipstick trying to push him to the back of her mind, she had to pull her game face on there was some money to be made today.

She walks out of the bathroom and towards her closet, the dress is in there somewhere even though she hadn’t worn in it some years she was hoping it would still fit, she finds the shoes first, black heels, then sees the dress tucked at the back. She loved it instantly but wouldn’t have bought it if it weren’t for the push from Annie. The blue material made her eyes pop, the slightly off the shoulder straps and neckline displayed her cleavage in the perfect combination of tasteful yet sexy, it hugged her hips and cut the right height of her thigh. She walks back into the bathroom with the dress, mentally crossing her fingers and toes that it fits as she hangs it on the back of the bathroom door. She drops the towel and realizes it might be a little bit tricky to not think about him when she sees all the places he had scraped his teeth along her skin.

“Holy shit” Annie says as Beth walks into the kitchen “And you’re a mum of four”

Beth smiles, the dress sure did fit and it fit well. “And look at you, very glamorous” Beth gestures to Annie’s deep neckline black jump suit, her little sister did look beautiful

“Do I look like a bride to be?” she asks mockingly

Beth hesitates “Maybe in this modern age yes”

The kitchen door opens and Ruby walks in, blinding them both with silver sequins

Woo check out all your bling!” Annie coos appreciatively

“Looking good Ruby” Beth adds

“I am looking good” Ruby smiles, “But so are you two! Let’s hit it girls”

“Slow down, have to organize the cash first” Beth pulls the large shoebox that’s on the bench across,

“So I'm thinking ambitious, we take thirty each and do what we can but don’t push it” she starts piling the stacks in front of them

“And how is that meant to fit in here?” Annie holds up her tiny clutch incredulously

“Why would you choose that bag Annie? We aren’t going for a lady’s day out this is business” Beth lets out a deep sigh aimed at her sister and heads into her bedroom to find a suitable bag.

“What, it goes so well with my outfit” Annie sheepishly mutters to Ruby

“You are really a couple of sandwiches short aren’t you” Ruby stares at her disbelievingly

Beth re enters the kitchen and hands a medium size handbag to Annie

“Um, its brown”

“Um it doesn’t matter” sometimes the two of them tend to revert back to their childhood roles.

“Beth’s right, its not about making a fashion statement its about walking out of there with 30 grand clear baby” Ruby grins excitedly.

“Just remember if it doesn’t feel right don’t gamble any more ok” Beth warns

“Right” they both agree.

Beth reaches for her keys but Annie stops her, “Yeah no, if we are going to the casino we are going properly and booking a car, drinks are on me!”  
  


Ruby grins, pointing at Annie “For such a rare occasion I have to say yes to that”

Beth hesitates, but then again why not? It’s not like she has to get drunk and if this works then they should be celebrating.

“Craig will be here in ten” Annie pockets her phone grinning at the both of them “God Beth this is a truly hideous bag” she grimaces again holding it out in front of her

“Relax Annie its purely functional”

“And I have seen some of your taste in bags, this could be a step up” Ruby points out as they walk to the front to wait for their ride.

“Anyone else feel like they are in Reservoir Dogs right now?” Annie asks as they walk through the doors of casino

“Well we aren’t going to rob anything so..um no?” Ruby answers

“Oh come on, I'm hearing the music play us in, all triumphant like” Annie doubles down.

“Lets just hope it works. Pick a table and remember if it doesn’t feel right walk away” Beth warns.  
  


They were three hours in and the only thing that had seemed a bit off was Beth’s luck, she had been to the casino twice in her life and had lost miserably, yet now when she was trying to place minimal bets to purely cash out with her chips claiming bad luck she couldn’t lose.

“Cash out please” Beth smiles at the dealer, “Quit while I'm ahead” she shrugs giving an explanation the uninterested blackjack dealer had not asked for. She pops the chips into her bag and does a quick check, close to twenty grand she was feeling good, she waited at the bar to see if Annie or Ruby would pick up on it and walk over.

Of course, Ruby did first and Beth watches as she cashes out and walks up to the bar, ordering a drink alongside her.

“How we doing?” Beth asks casually

“I’ve done twenty-two g”

Beth grins at her, “Really? Well done Ruby”

Annie sidles over to them, “Sup bitches, the queen of the cass is here, thirty down” she drums her fingers on the bar and waves for another drink.

“Well alright, lets finish these and head out before change of shift”

“Serious? I'm doing so well though!” Annie takes a big swig

“Annie we aren’t here for fun” Beth’s voice is low, trying to telepathically tell her sister to reign in it, not that it had ever worked in the past.

“Beth’s right”

Annie rolls her eyes at the two of them “Of course you would say that” she finishes her drink

“Alright, well we are definitely going for a drink after this anyway”

“Fine” Beth concedes “But I pick the bar”

Annie nods and pulls out her phone, “Well at least give me the address so I can book us a car”

Beth rattles it off and leads the way to the cashier, she had already sussed out to ensure it was someone different to the other day, she takes first spot in the line and hands her chips over, a big smile on her face

“Lucky day” the cashier smiles, much more friendly than the last

“It certainly was. You know what why don’t you take a black one for yourself, I haven’t won like this before” Beth beams at the cashier

“Really? Thankyou so much” The cashier puts one to the side and then begins to count the chips “Large notes ok?”

“Mhm” Beth nods

The cash is counted quick, just shy of twenty thousand and Beth doesn’t even have to fake the smile as she thanks her, turning to the girls and carefully putting the notes in her handbag separate from her remainder fake stash she tells them she will meet them out front. As soon as she feels the sun and fresh air on her face she really feels in the clear, pulling out her phone no messages, again not that she thought there would be.

Annie and Ruby walk out both smiling as the Annie points out their car, they cram in the back and leans in to Beth to whisper

“53 grand baby”

“So, we are looking at around 50 just for a few hours…after we cut it” Beth adds

“Drinks are on me then” Ruby grins

“What is this place?” Annie asks confused at the door to the bar

“Its just a bar” Beth shrugs as they head inside, Annie looks around suspiciously

“Why are we here though?”

“I figure its somewhere we won’t run into someone we know and have to have an awkward conversation?” Beth shrugs casually then stops “Shoot, order me a drink I have to ring Dean”

She walks out the front before they can say anything.

Looking over her shoulder she makes sure they don’t see as she crosses the road and enters his bar.

The place has two people tucked in a booth and one lone figure at the bar, she straightens her back flicks her hair and walks towards him. He clearly heard the click of her heels but waits till she is next to him to turn his head, when he does, he smirks

“Damn mama” he looks her up and down appreciatively “Formal theme for the PTA is it?”

“A successful day at the office” she smirks back at him

“Oh, you been to the casino” his grin widens when he sees her falter

“You still following me?”

“Nah darlin’.” He leans against the bar, crosses his hands and clasps them together in front of him, amused by her bewilderment as she walks closer to him “You think you’re the first person to think of that?”

He laughs when her expression betrays her “Oh sweetheart that’s old trick, you got maybe three more visits before they are onto you” he turns and signals to the bar tender for two

Beth sits down on the stool next to him and reaches for the glass the bartender with the seemingly incredible memory has poured for her.

“I thought it was a good idea” she takes a swig

“It’s not the worst way to go about it” he says reaching for his drink and turning back to look at her, offering her this small token.

“But it’s clearly not the brightest” she concedes

He scoffs “I’ve seen dumber.” He takes a swig “Well worth the outfit though” his grin wicked as his gaze trails down to where the dress cuts mid-thigh.

“It’s been a while since something like this has gotton a wear in the rotation”

“Should make it a regular feature”

“Doesn’t really go with my other day to day activities”

“Maybe you should be mixing them up” his dark eyes nearly burn a hole through her

“I think I have managed to mix up my routine enough thanks” she drops her eyes under the stare and finishes her drink,

“Oh yeah? Don’t like your new activities” he accentuates the last word

“Some I don’t think I will be pursuing anymore” she responds.

He doesn’t say anything

“I came to let you know it worked and I have your cut”

“Where is it?” he asks looking at her empty hands

“Well its not on me” she hesitates then remembers the last time they had a conversation like this when he had come back to her bedroom, as usual she can tell by the expression on his face he was thinking the same thing.

“I’ll call to organise the pickup tonight” she stands and walks out of the bar knowing that his eyes are following her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual have loved the kudos and reading the feedback from you beautiful people, I have also absolutely loved writing this!


	12. Push and Pull

“And how is Deansy? Still in a disgusting love cloud” Annie mocks when Beth walks back in to join the girls at a booth in the corner

“He is fine” Beth sits down and reaches for the drink they had ordered for her

“Ok well now we can do the official toast” Ruby grins

Beth smiles weakly clinking her glass against theirs, “Well let’s not get carried away, we need to think of a different avenue”

“What why?” Annie’s dark eyebrows knit together in confusion “Beth the casino is genius, not to mention a good day out”

“It’s not sustainable long-term Annie, they will be onto us in at least two more takes” Rio’s words are echoing in her mind

“When did you think of this? Because last night you made it seem like this was the new Cloud 9”

“And like our Cloud 9 there is a use by date on it, it just means this one is a lot shorter”

“Right and this just came to you” Annie eyes Beth suspiciously not necessarily buying the sudden realization that the casino wasn’t long term.

Beth gives her sister a hard stare “Yes it did as a matter of fact, when I was checking in with Dean, I begun thinking about it realistically”

“Mhm, right” Annie’s lips are plumped as she purses them skeptically, taking a sip of her drink

Ruby sits back quietly having known these girls long enough to know when to keep her nose out of it.

“Can we just celebrate the fact that we made some real money today?” Beth tries to change the subject, attempting to rally the two of them.

“Hell yeah we did” Ruby ever on board responds enthusiastically, raising her glass

“Fine, I concede” Annie raises her hand in defeat.

“So, when we going to divvy this up and give gang friend his cut?” Ruby changes the conversation

“I can organize it tonight”

“On your own?” Annie’s suspicion has returned

“I wasn’t planning on it no” Beth looks pointed at her, hoping her sister can’t tell she is lying

“I can’t tonight, I wanted to do something nice for Stan, so I have a special dinner planned”

“Oooh talking about the love cloud” Beth mocks in a sing song voice

Annie’s eyes haven’t left Beth “I can come” she searches her sisters face for a reaction

“That would be great” Beth smiles back at Annie, she drains her glass and stands, “Same again?”

They nod and she heads over to the bar, ordering and looking back at the booth, she really shouldn’t be lying to them still but at this point she didn’t even know what she would say and how that conversation would go considering Annie’s distaste on hearing the first incident. She grabs the drinks and heads back over, thankfully the conversation had moved on.

“So, what’s next?” Annie leans forward excited and expectantly looking at Beth

“I don’t know” she admits

“There wasn’t a backup?”

“Oh, because your contributions have been so wonderful” Beth replies sarcastically

“Well with that kind of support how could I not contribute” Annie’s tone again matches hers.

“Damn will you two just stop for a second” Ruby finally interjects “Surely we can all have a think here”

Beth and Annie both sit back, Annie muttering something about her not starting it anyway only to be interrupted by her phone buzzing on the table,

“Oh shit, I gotta go, Sadie is on her way home, I totally forgot!” she picks up her bag then pauses “Actually you can take this ugly ass thing back with you Beth” she passes the handbag over

“So, you can’t come for the drop then?” Beth trying her hardest to appear nonchalant

“Oh, right yeah. I guess not” Annie is too busy replying to the text to pick up on it thankfully. “Right, love you” she blows a kiss to them both and walks out in a hurry.

“I better get going after this one too” Ruby takes another sip of her drink “But lets get together in the morning, run through some ideas”

Beth nods, “Definitely” she finishes her drink and stands with Ruby heading to the door of the bar, pulling out her phone to organize a lift, glancing across the street to the bar as if he would just happen to be outside. He wasn’t.

*

Dean hadn’t spoken to her when she returned home, and she had busied herself with the kids so as not to make a point of their awkward silence. At some point this needed to be addressed but she didn’t have the energy to now, not after the day she had had. He had gone to bed early and she wouldn’t have followed even if she weren’t expecting Rio and when she saw his shadow in the backyard the way her pulse quickened it was obvious why.

She quietly closed the door behind her, and he joined her on the porch when she extended the bag with the money.

“Didn’t want to leave the dress on for me?” he ask opening the bag to take a cursory glance at the contents, he wasn’t counting but had gotton pretty good at being able to eyeball what amount it was, he folds the bag and puts it in his back pocket.

“Why would I be doing that?” Her expression is ice

“Right, I guess it wouldn’t be on too long huh”

“I would have thought I’d be getting ushered out before that happened” she hadn’t meant to bring it up but the casual way he was flirting with her was making her so angry she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

“Mad about that were you?” he steps closer to her and she steps back, gently hitting the side of her house as she does so.

It makes her angrier that his smirk has widened “No it felt fantastic to be pushed out to go watch you shoot a guy”

“Right, so you mad about having to leave my bed or being dragged on a business call?” he tilts his head in genuine confusion

“I didn’t say I was mad” she flusters, “I don’t particularly like being included when someone is getting shot”

He doesn’t reply, instead pouting his lips and blinking at her slowly and she knows that Turner is on both their minds.

“What did he do?” she asks softly

“He was a rotten egg” he says simply

“And what does that mean in this instance?”

He exhales deeply, clearly not wanting to talk about it “He stole from me, among other things”

“And you shoot everyone who steals from you?”

“Usually yeaha” this time his tone is hard, as if it were a warning, and considering she had stolen from him on multiple occasions it seemed maybe in a way it was.

His eyes are dark and serious “You can’t be soft in this business Elizabeth; you appear to be weak and you die. Sometimes I think you forget what you got yourself into. What you _wanted_ to get into”

Now it is her turn to stay silent, as much as she liked to pretend to be a victim of circumstance sometimes, it wasn’t true, this mess was her own making.

He hasn’t broken his gaze and as usual it seems he can read near every thought going through her mind

“So yeah you don’t let the people that betray you go unpunished.” Another of his life lessons.

“So, you couldn’t tell me that this morning?” it sounds childish but its all she can think of to say

“I'm surprised you were still there; thought maybe you would have snuck out back to your husband.” His tone is mocking and lacking his usual playfulness.

If there had been a shift last night it seems to have shifted back, that or it had been a figment of her imagination, she felt just as small as she had in the car this morning despite her resolve to regain control

“You’re right I do have a husband and I should be getting back to him” she straightens up and moves to step past him, but he blocks her, grabbing her wrist hard and pushing her back against the wall

“Concerned about him, now are we?” he was baiting her

She tries to pull her wrist back, but his grip tightens “You brought him up” she baits him right back,

He studies her face and for once she feels she can read him as if he wants to ask a question, the moment is fleeting and he leans in close to her, his lips inches from her own seeing if she will rise to him, it takes a moment but she does. He maintains the grip on her wrist but uses his free hand to shape the edge of her body before ripping open her jeans, his hand diving down her lace underwear, his middle finger roughly parting her as a soft moan escapes her lips. He momentarily relishes how wet she is then as fast as his hand had slid down there he is wrenching it back out, releasing her wrist forcefully and stepping back from her, clearly enjoying the look of annoyance and surprise on her face more

He touches his finger to his lips “Guess your husband can take care of that” he turns and walks off her not looking back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual the kudos and comments have given me the warm and fuzzies, thanks :)


	13. Direct talk

Beth stares after him seething, cheeks burning in humiliation and heart pounding, mentally berating herself more than she was him for allowing it to happen. She buttons her jeans back up and smoothes her shirt down then walks back inside, heading towards the kitchen only to find Dean sat at the bench.

“What are we doing Beth?” he doesn’t turn around when she enters,

“What do you mean?” she walks past him and to the cupboard reaching for the bourbon and a glass,

“Why are we still doing this?”

With this comment she reaches for a glass for him as well, she places it in front of him and splashes bourbon into both.

“I don’t know” she replies honestly, not pretending to misunderstand him this time

“I mean I hardly see you and when I do you barely look at me. I mean I thought we were trying to give us another chance but it’s almost like I'm living with a ghost” there is no fight in his voice, he sounds exhausted, resigned almost.

“I know” she replies softly

“And I'm gonna be honest, I don’t think it was a one-time thing with this guy. I mean even when you’re here you’re not here Beth”

“You’re right.”

He stares at her mouth agape, expecting more from her, at least a denial about an ongoing affair “So what now?” his voice cracks

She leans her back against the bench, of course this moment had been coming, it had been unfair of her to expect him to stay like this, but it had also been the most convenient situation for her and a small part of her felt after what he had put them through maybe he owed her that.

“You have clearly given this the most thought what do you think?” there is no malice in her voice

“I think we need to revisit the divorce idea. There is no use separating again if it just comes back to this”

Again, she doesn’t argue with him and he nods as if she just confirmed it for him.

“We will have to sell the house though. And the kids…I mean you are hardly ever here; something is going to have to change to get them to and from school.”

“You have been thinking about this for a while?” she asks

“Other than looking after the kids there hasn’t been much else to do” he admits “I also think this time you need to be the one to leave. Until we get the sale of the house organized”

This stops her and she opens her mouth to protest, until she sees his expression and closes it again. She could throw all sorts of things at him right now and her first go to was cheating, but she didn’t have a leg to stand on there anymore. There of course was the argument about who was able to pay the mortgage that shouldn’t have been taken out again but even that felt a little stale in her mouth, these were all things that had a shelf life in an argument, you can’t move past something with a partner and continue to throw the forgiven mistakes in their face.

“Ok” she replies simply.

He leans back in his chair, “Its him isn’t it” he says in disbelief

“What?” despite feigning confusion she feels a hot blush run up her neck

“Don’t pretend like you don’t understand” he shakes his head

“Are you fucking kidding me Beth? The guy shot me, he is a violent criminal, and you decide to throw what we have away for him?”

“What do we have Dean? A marriage filled with resentment and distrust? I haven’t thrown anything away for him. It’s not what you think”

He stands up and finishes his drink, “Of course it isn’t” his parting shot as he is leaving the kitchen.

*

It had been two weeks, two weeks of talking to her kids on the phone and seeing them in fleeting visits. Two weeks of listening to Annie snore as she lay next to her, cramped in the bed. Two weeks of avoiding all things Rio even the next venture, until the cash was wearing thin and any chance, she had of finding somewhere to live was dwindling with it. Talking with Annie they had decided on another short-term plan to make some cash, the track. It was successful in the same vein the casino was, quick bet place and cancel and obviously not a permanent solution. It had given them enough cash to keep going though but it also meant they owed their cut to their partner. Beth had deliberately picked a night she would be working and assured Annie she would be fine to meet him on her own, it didn’t mean she hadn’t held her breath waiting for the all good text from her sister when the drop was done not that she thought she was in any danger.

The bell chimes at the front and she hears him before she sees him

“Didn’t want to see me?” He closes the door slowly behind him, clearly having waited for the last person to leave before entering. Dressed in his signature black attire she wished he didn’t look so good, and so damn smug.

“Excuse me?” she busies herself replenishing the cards in the rack in front of her,

“Getting little sister to do the drop. Too busy or didn’t want to see me?”

“I was busy” she replies coldly,

“Busy looking for somewhere else to live huh?”

“God dammit why do you keep following me?” she explodes, everything from the last two weeks finally making her cave from the pressure “Clearly the only reason is because you enjoy torturing me. I mean why else?”

His expression is blank as he stares her down, his hands crossed in front of him

“Well?” she widens her eyes angrily at him as she waits for an answer

“Like to keep tabs on my business partners” he says simply

“Bullshit” 

He grins slightly, clearly enjoying this no-nonsense Beth “Well how you doin?”

“Why?”

“Why not?” his voice still even

“Because you don’t really care how I'm doing. If you want to ask about the money, ask about the money.”

“If I wanted to ask about the money I would ask about the money, you think I have a problem being direct?” his teases

“You don’t seem to have a problem being glib”

“Now who has a problem being direct?” he slowly walks closer to her “Something you want to discuss Elizabeth?”

“Is there something you want to discuss Rio?”

“I wanted to know why you were avoiding me, but I sorta already asked that.”

“Why? Is it interfering with your fun little game of making my life miserable?”

“Now that’s a bit harsh, here I thought there were times when I was making it more satisfying” he reaches his hand out to brush her hair from her face, but she turns her face away

“You’ve definitely made it…something” she doesn’t know how to finish that sentence

“Interesting?” he suggests

She smiles weakly at the understatement “Putting it mildly. I would have gone with complicated”

“Complicated can be interesting”

“Usually not in a positive way”

“You can’t say there hasn’t been positives” his voice is low

“I wouldn’t say they outweigh the negatives, I mean fuck Rio, my marriage is over, Dean is probably going to try for full custody of the kids, I’ve done things I never thought I would do” she shakes her head slightly looking down at the ground, they both know she isn’t talking about their heated moments.

“You haven’t dealt with it have you?” he sucks his teeth

“It’s not exactly something you just deal with” she responds defensively

“Elizabeth I told you…”

“I know” she cuts him off rolling her eyes “That’s not why I brought it up. Its just one more thing on the list that is what the hell is wrong with my life right now. The finding somewhere to live has been the icing on the cake”

He tilts his head studying her before finally speaking “Come with me”

Again she rolls her eyes, “What part of that did you hear take me now?”

Now he shakes his head, “That’s not what I meant, come or don’t I don’t care” he turns and walks out of the shop leaving her with the tough choice to follow or not.

He had seemed like something else was on his mind so in yet another bad decision to add to the list she follows, locking the store door behind her and climbing into his waiting car. They drive in silence for 15 minutes and finally pull up outside a scrappy looking building, he doesn’t say anything as he opens her door motioning for her to get out and following him, watching as he punches in a code at the door, great was he going to show her another man tied to a pole? They climb two flights of stairs and he pulls out his keys, flicking through till he finds the right one opening the door to a sparsely if not stylishly decorated apartment.

“What you move again?” she asks

“No, not yet this is a just in case”

“A just in case?” she asks incredulously

“Yeah, property is a lucrative game, legit too” he grins “mostly”

He spins the key off the ring and holds it out to her

She stares at him, “What?”

“At least you can take one thing off your list”

“You can’t give me an apartment” her eyebrows furrowed this was to weird

“Woah slow down, nobody said give. This isn’t a free ride. Six hundred a month”

“I don’t even know if this will work with the kids”

“It’s three bedroom, they would have to share. Show me anywhere else you’re getting this rent?”

She swallows trying to think of how to word the next part but in true form he has already clocked her concern

“It’s the only key” he assures

“And cameras?”

“Only if you wanted some put in” his grin now devilish. “But there are some at the front of the building.”

“I don’t think I can...”

“Just take the key Elizabeth.”

She hesitates, but really what other option did she have, she couldn’t sleep in Annie’s bed another night and the kids were never going to be able to come stay with her there. She takes the key begrudgingly,

“Until I find something” she promises.

He smiles having seen the mental tug of war cross her face knowing if it weren’t a desperate situation her pride would have won.

“Right” he nods in agreeance.


	14. Whose Rules

Beth locks the door to the Paper Porcupine and hesitates as she walks to her car, unsure if she should go back to Annie’s or go walk through the apartment, she hadn’t really had a chance to have a look at it properly, she was more thrown off by his generous offer, as well as trying to find his ulterior motive. There had to be one, the suggested rent wasn’t a cash cow for him, so it had to be something else, other than knowing where she is going to be all the time which lets be honest he knew anyway. She starts the car deciding on a quick look then back to Annie’s, she would also have to work on how she was going to explain her new accommodation. Obviousley she won’t be sharing the landlord or rent details with anyone, Annie was already suspicious of her as it was. Beth knew she just wasn’t asking questions as she was simply happy that her sister had finally left Dean, despite being told to do so multiple times over the years.

She finds her way to the apartment easily, realizing that almost as a survival technique she had focused on every detail about their drive earlier, just in case. She unlocks the apartment and this time really takes it in, it is nice very nice, she walks along the hard floors to the first bedroom, a basic single room but with the girls bunk beds would suit them nicely. A bathroom sits between the next room, but it is a carbon copy and the one down the end must be the master. A low king bed with a wooden headboard sits in the middle of the room, the bedding black, it was really set up to be lived in at any moment. She pushes the door parallel to the bed open and sees a generous sized ensuite, dull grey tiles lining the walls and basin, a shower tucked in the corner and a deep bath underneath a window. There is no way she would be able to afford a place like this whilst trying to settle a divorce, the only thing that had held her back was the implication of what accepting his generosity might entail, having said that she had already slept with him, had already shot a man at his behest, what more could he ask of her?

*

“Wow Beth this place is nice!” Annie’s already big eyes widen as she takes in the apartment,

“Nice is an understatement” Ruby’s eyes just as wide as she peaks in the kitchen cupboards “Where on earth did you find this place?”

“Dorothy knew someone, it’s more of a house sit than permeant”

“So, you don’t even have to pay any rent?” Annie is incredulous

“Well no I am paying some rent, just not full fee. More of a favour both ways, Dorothy’s friend wanted someone she could trust to stay in the place”

“No way is this friend Dorothy’s age, unless she has exceptional taste!”

“And money” Ruby backs up Annie, “This furniture is not the cheap stuff” she runs her hand against the leather armchair

“Well its only temporary” Beth says again

“You don’t sound to happy about it Beth, if you don’t like it you can take my place I will move in here” Annie throws herself down onto the couch, putting her feet up on the arm

“Get your feet off the couch” Beth scolds

“So, when we getting your stuff?”

“Dean said he will help bring some things over, I don’t want to take to much the kids are already struggling with this. As long as I can get the bunk beds set up for them, I will be happy”

Ruby moves back into the kitchen and continues to open cupboards, whistling with appreciation when she finds a single bottle of top shelf bourbon

“Well looks like Dorothy’s friend was kind enough to leave us something for a toast” she pulls out glasses and begins to fill them up.

Beth feels a slight pang of annoyance, he had known she was going to accept the place before he brought her here, god damn him and his arrogance. She takes the glass form Ruby

“To the new digs” Annie raises her glass.

*

It had only been a week but she was feeling settled in the new place, the bills adding up again she had decided to get the girls to take one more run at the casino before they completely abandoned the idea, ensuring that they picked a different day in the hope the workers shifts were consistent. It hadn’t been as big of a haul as last time, but they had walked away with sixty grand between them, enough to get them through this round of bills after dividing their cut. The kids had stayed once at the new place, Dean had brought them around probably more to find out where she was living than anything else. They had thought the place was nice but Beth could tell they would be happier at home, it prompted her rearrange the place and add some more Boland touches for when they came back on the weekend, determined for them to feel uncomfortable here.

It had taken her several attempts to finally text Rio for a pickup, she contemplated getting Annie to do the drop again but the least she could do was see him, he had given her somewhere to live. A large part of her wanted to see him, to be close enough to breath him in again but that was a dangerous game and she didn’t feel as equal footed with him anymore, the apartment being the least of the reasons. She had been left humiliated by him twice now and although he had offered something of an explanation for the first time it didn’t mean much to her. She was conflicted, never having an issue when he left abruptly after their previous encounters but being in his bed had felt different and the coldness that had washed over her when he had walked out telling her it was time to go was something she couldn’t shake. They weren’t a couple, she had no legitimate reason to think there was any emotion here, but the way he had been kissing her, caressing her skin, the man was a master of manipulation she had to remind herself.

She had eventually text, saying she would meet him downstairs; she could have gone public place but part of her wanted to see what would happen. She was locking the front door to head down and meet him when she saw him languidly walking up the stairs, of course he had let himself in the front of the building.

“I thought you said there was only one key”

“There is, it’s a door code, don’t you enter here every day?” his tone mocking “I was going to knock” he adds.

“I was going to meet you outside”

“Figured inside was a bit more private. For business”, the last part sounds more of an afterthought.

It had been a week since she had seen him and near month since she had felt his touch, even if it were only to torment her. He looked good, as he always did, the effortless way he seemed to blend casual yet formidable with his attire made her smile as she wondered how much thought he put into his outfits every day, everything complimenting perfectly right down to the shoes and watch. He smiles smugly being able to read her expression as he slowly swaggers towards her. His hand thuds softly on the door next to her head as he leans in and he brushes his lips against hers, breathing her in. Her hands fly to his shirt pulling him into her roughly, not being able to pretend any longer that she doesn’t want him, he fumbles with the door handle with his free hand, pushing them back into the apartment and breaking from kissing her so they can close the door behind them, the bag of money drops from her hands, forgotten to the floor. He turns back and swiftly picks her up, pinning her against the wall reciprocating her urgency to feel her skin on his as he rips open her blouse, buttons flying.

“I'm not doing this because you gave me somewhere to live” she says quickly as he moves his lips down her neck and across her collarbone

“Good coz I'm not taking this as rent payment” he buries his face into the lace of her black bra, groaning at the scent and silkiness of her skin.

She hastily reaches for the buttons on his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders, letting out a small gasp as he sinks his teeth into her. She drags her nails across his bare shoulders, her eyes closing in ecstasy as he unhooks her bra and feasts on her. He pulls his head up relishing in the expression on her face, not wanting to ruin the moment but wanting to move them to the couch at the very least. He pulls her off the wall and now she bends her head into his neck, licking the edge of his tattoo before closing her mouth over his hot skin. He walks backwards, carrying her as if she is weightless, dropping himself down onto the armchair closest to them and takes off what is left of her shirt, his calloused hands running over her skin feeling it prickle beneath his touch.

She unbuttons his jeans and her lips twist into a smile against his neck when she feels how hard he is, she didn’t quite know why but he seemed to want, to need her more than she did him at times. He groans when she takes him into her hand, his cock feels as if he is pulsating into her touch, unlike most of their interactions he seems impatient as he unbuttons her pants and lifts her off him to roughly pull down her jeans and panties in one smooth motion, eyes locked as he forcefully pulls her back so she can sink down onto him, the volume of their moans match one another as they both feel the way he fills her. She lifts and falls back onto him, moaning with every thrust, the angle ensuring she takes all of him, her hands circle around his neck and he kisses her fiercely as they set a rhythm.

Beth can already feel how close she is and how rigid his body as gone gives it away for him, his hand moves to the back of her head, pulling her hair hard, forcing her chin up as he once again buries his face into her neck, groaning as she moves faster knowing this is going to be over sooner than she’d like.

“I want you to cum baby” she hears him grunt into her ear and its enough to send her over as she feels her body contract around him and his teeth pierce her skin, he groans almost in surprise not expecting to cum this soon and when he releases into her, her moans intensify. He leans back against the armchair, and her head falls to his chest, his hands slowly run up her naked back as he feels her body quivering into him, surprised when he feels her lips on his skin again as she kisses his chest gently.

“You redecorated” he says softly looking around the apartment

“Well yeah, wasn’t really my style” she lifts her head to look at him

“What you saying I don’t have taste?”

She grins cheekily “Well obviously you do”

He smiles at her, she was much more relaxed than their last encounter, living on her own suited her, and him for obvious reasons.

“I was being serious though” she says her face hardening

“About what?” his fingers absentmindedly stroking her arm

“Just because you helped me out with somewhere to live doesn’t mean you can just get what you want whenever you like”

“Just what I want is it?” he smirks at her

She blushes, despite the fact that she was currently naked with him still inside her he could make her so easily embarrassed with his allusions.

“You told me to come here to pick up the money remember?”

“Yes, I did”

“So, it’s just you that gets to decide then is it?”

“Yes” she says simply, he blinks slowly staring at her in the way that almost bores through her. She lifts herself up, begrudgingly sliding off him so she can try make a point. She stands and walks towards the bathroom, feeling a little smug with herself as if the power has shifted back. She turns the taps for the shower and hears the bathroom door close behind her, he is standing there naked, his cock slick with both of them and once again rock hard. His eyes dark as he starts to walk towards her, once more picking her up with ease and pushing her hard against the shower wall

“Yeah that’s not how I play” his voice is low as he slams into her hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always appreciate the kudos and comments from you beautiful people


	15. Plans and Truths

Beth wakes with a start lurching upright as if the sound of the gunshot had come from the end of her bed, her breathing rapid as she tries to make sense of her surroundings, disoriented both from the dream and the new apartment. She hears a click of a gun cocking and realizes she must have made some kind of noise when waking as Rio had bolted awake and reached instinctively for his gun which was next to the bed. The sound of the gun brings Beth back to reality

“It was a dream” not really sure who she was reassuring

She hears the click as the gun uncocks and a heavy thud as its placed back on the bedside table. “Shit Elizabeth you scared the hell out of me”

Her heart is still pounding but at least she knew where she was now,

“You ok?”

She nods, then realizes how redundant that was in the dark “Bad dream” she mutters again

“Right” his tone certainly isn’t lacking

“What?” she rolls her eyes as she lays back down,

“How often you havin’ these dreams?”

She hesitates, wondering how much to say “A couple of times a week” she settles on the truth

He leans up on his elbow, the little moonlight coming through the curtains cuts across his bicep and glimmers on the medallion swinging from his neck “Is it a replay?”

“A replay?”

“Yeah like an exact recount of what happened or we talkin’ whole new scenarios” without her even saying what the dreams were about he knew.

She lifts herself to mirror his position, genuinely confused “Why? Does that make the difference?”

He chuckles softly, “Na, I was just curious” he reaches out and gently brushes the hair from her face “You killed him.” He is blunt but not malicious “You shot him twice. I’d say the shot that did it was the second one.”

She recoils but he puts his hand gently behind her neck keeping her face on him, she can’t see his eyes, but she can feel them on her

“It was an instantaneous kill. He wouldn’t have suffered if that helps in any way.”

“Not really” she says softly

“Elizabeth he wasn’t leaving that apartment alive, whether you pulled the trigger or not”

She lets out a big sigh, “But it didn’t mean I had to do it”

“No. You didn’t _have_ to do it, but you did do it”

“I am acutely aware of that”

“Are you?”

“Yes, Rio I am well aware that I didn’t literally have to but I did in fact shoot and kill a man” as soon as the words are out of her mouth she realizes she hadn’t actually said this before. Anytime she had been forced to think about that night she had justified it to herself by saying there was no choice. Now Rio’s words from her kitchen echo back to her, he was right there is always a choice and she had made hers, she could try to justify it anyway she wanted but perhaps she shouldn’t try outright lie to herself.

“Two years ago, I would never thought I could have done something like that” her voice sounds small

“No doubt there’s a lot of things you couldn’t have seen happening two years ago”

She laughs surprising herself “So many things. I didn’t think I would be here that’s for sure”

“Living on your own?”

“That and in bed with a gangbanger”

He laughs loudly, ‘Yeah don’t ever say that again. Don’t sound right coming outta your mouth”

He falls back onto the pillow and pulls her into him, circling his arm around her as she pulls the covers up higher

“Are we discussing something other than business?” 

“We don’t just talk business; we talk sex too” his tone playful “Making you uncomfortable is it?”

“Well yeah”

He runs his hand up her arm “So we talking business or you wanna tell me where you want me to run my tongue”

She laughs a bit embarrassed then hesitates “Actually maybe we could talk business”

“Didn’t like my idea?”

“No, we can get to that, it’s more I did have an idea”

“Oh yeah?”

“I think the card shop could be a long-term solution going forward”

“You quitting the game?”

“No I mean to buy it, think about it the machine out the back alone is worth it let alone the space, I could expand to do markets, pop up shops, a lot of possibilities to wash the cash. And who’s going to think there is anything sinister happening in the card and print shop?”

He doesn’t respond

“Bad idea?” she asks

“No, you got some points. I don’t see how you are going to be able to afford to buy it though, unless you been holding out on my cut”

“You put up the capital” she boldly suggests

“Really? Just give you the money to buy a business that isn’t for sale”

“Not give me the money, invest, 50/50”

“I’ll think about it.”

It had started as the wisp of an idea this afternoon and she hadn’t even thought of involving him, now all of a sudden it was like a business plan had formed in her mind. This could mean no more short-term schemes, it was just dependent on a couple of factors, the money to buy it and Dorothy wanting to sell.

“So, we going back to my second idea now?” he asks interrupting her thoughts

*

Its her phone that wakes her this time, the sunlight sneaking through the edges of the curtain, she reaches over and grabs it off the table, looking at the empty side of the bed when she sees his name flash on the message.

*Get me some figures and we will talk”

She grins and sinks back into the bed; this could work and it might even make her feel a bit more legit about it all. She pulls her phone back out to call Annie

“We hitting the casino?” Annie answers excitedly

“Relax DeNiro I have a better idea. Can you come round for coffee?”

“Sure, give me an hour”

Beth ends the call and rolls over cuddling into the covers, the sheets reek of him and she buries her head into his pillow, drifting back to sleep.

*

“Beth”

Annie yells for the third time accompanying it with a thud on the door finally waking her sister up, bleary eyed Beth gets up from the bed, looking for anything to throw on.

“I'm coming” she yells back, hurriedly grabbing her robe off the back of the door and rushing to let her sister in.

“You tell me to come round and then take a nap?” Annie walks in, putting two coffees on the counter

“I just fell back asleep”

Annie looks around the apartment seeing Beth’s clothes strewn across the floor and shoes kicked off haphazardly “Really enjoying this living alone thing huh” she raises her eyebrows at her sister

Beth picks up her clothes quickly, hoping Annie hasn’t noticed the ripped blouse as she tumbles them into a ball and throws them into her room

“It was a rough night”

“You look surprisingly refreshed considering”

“Thanks, always nice to hear” she picks up one of the coffees and motions for Annie to join her at the bench.

“So, what’s your idea?”

“We buy the Paper Porcupine” Beth’s eyes light up

“Right…And we go into the invitation business?” Annie furrows her brows skeptically

“No” Beth rolls her eyes at her sister “Well I mean I guess, but really its so we have a long-term solution to laundering the money”

“Ooook” Annie isn’t exactly showing the enthusiasm Beth had been expecting

“It’s a good idea” Beth is almost defensive. “I mean the machine will always be at our disposal. If we branch out into markets, possibly even parties, we have some easy cash only based events. Helps us not only clean the money but source the notes we need for the base”

Annie takes a long sip of her coffee, “Yeah ok, it sounds like a good idea. Only problem is where are we getting the money to buy the shop? I certainly don’t have that kind of dough”

“Well we might have to think about going into a partnership”

Annie scoffs “With who? Who do we know who has money and knows what we are doing?”

Beth avoids the question and takes a sip of her coffee, averting her eyes

“Wait. You can’t be serious? Gang friend?” Annie asks incredulously “Do we really want to be more involved with this guy?”

Beth hesitates, if only her sister knew, “He is already technically involved, it just means we will be upping it to full partnership”

“You already spoke to him about this?” if it was possible Annie’s eyebrows had knitted closer together

“No...well sort of, I floated the idea at the last pickup”

“When was that?”

“Last night” Beth answers quickly under fire

“Right. The rough night you had last night…the shoes…the clothes. Oh my god Beth did you fuck him again?” Annie scans the lounge room “oh my god you did” her eyes landing on a button

“You’re freaking kidding me. You can’t even read a room when mentioning inappropriate things but now you’re a first-class detective?”

“I'm like a bang detective, it’s a gift” she shrugs then brushes it off “Don’t avoid the subject, did you sleep with him again?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with my proposition” Beth still dodges eye contact

“Oh, you don’t see what that has to do with it?” Annie’s voice dripping with sarcasm “You don’t see how involving yourself more with the scary psychopath who love loves pointing guns in our faces, could be a problem?”

“It was a one off”

“I’d say that’s a two off now though wouldn’t you”

“Fine, it’s a two off.”

Annie shakes her head making Beth feel like the younger sister here. “Does Ruby know?”

“What? No. I didn’t even want you to know”

Annie squints suspiciously at her for a moment “Mhm”

“Can we just forget about that for a moment and focus on the idea”

Annie takes another long sip of her coffee “Yeah ok, I mean its not a terrible idea, call Ruby and I guess we see what she thinks”

Beth nods and picks up her phone, ending the call shortly afterwards “She will be here in thirty”

*

Ruby nods slowly, “It sounds like a good idea, I mean more legitimate than what we are doing”

“Exactly” Beth is excited that Ruby seems on board.

“So how do we buy it thought?” Ruby looks back and forth at the sisters

“Oh, this is the best part” Annie smiles sardonically

Beth rolls her eyes “We will have to go 50/50 with Rio”

“Aka Beth’s bed buddy” Annie interjects

Ruby’s jaw drops, “What! Again? I thought you said it was just the once?”

“Mmm” Annie plumps her lips like they are in school and Beth is in for some trouble.

“It’s not important.” Beth tries to dismiss it, “Honestly its not going to be a reoccurring thing”

“Oh, but it is reoccurring now Beth because its happened more than once, that is literally the definition of reoccurring”

“Jesus Annie just drop it. Because your sex life has been the ticket of perfection”

“You haven’t exactly let any of it pass without comment though so it’s only fair”

“Well he must be good if you went back. I mean you never really answered me the first time” Ruby interrupts before the sisters can continue the tit for tat.

Beth blushes at Ruby’s comment and it doesn’t go unnoticed

“Of course, he is good” Annie rolls her eyes, “He has probably slept with hundreds of women and would know more than Deansey’s classic missionary position”

Ruby laughs, “Oh he would definitely have more moves than Dean”

Beth’s blush deepens, not really wanting to discuss this less she gives anything away that she wasn’t even sure of it herself.

“Ooh was he dressed? Did he have his gun?” Ruby leans forward like a schoolgirl “He got more tatts?”

“I'm not answering these questions” Beth stands up, “Can we just get back to business idea please?”

Ruby sits back in her stool, disappointed.

“Ok he is good” Beth offers this much and a small smile “Very good”

Ruby grins but Annie holds back on any encouraging expressions.

“So, what are we thinking? Is the shop a good idea or not?” Beth brings it back to business

“I think yes. I mean why not its one of the more legal things we will have done” Ruby switches gears back to the professional.

Beth looks at her sister who nods as well

“I mean yeah, as long as your personal business doesn’t affect anything sounds good”

Beth ignores the tone and stands smiling, “Great, well I need to do some research into the numbers and talk to Dorothy see if she is willing”

“Well we front gang friend together to properly decide. I mean it will concern all three of us” Annie says sternly

“Yeah sure.” Beth nods

“Ok so now that all that has been decided” Ruby leans forward again “We going to get more details here or what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really enjoying writing this and the comments and kudos, thankyou beautiful people ❤


	16. Jealousy

The numbers for the shop had seemed better than Beth was thinking, not so much in the profit margin but more in the consistent nature that would be more successful for the operation she had in mind. It also meant that perhaps she would have a decent chance at getting Dorothy to sell, if the place weren’t turning over a significant profit, she might be more inclined to let it go. The girls were even more keen now there was a concrete plan ahead and the three of them were waiting on Rio at some swanky country club, certainly not the place they would have anticipated ever meeting him in. Beth finally spots him, talking to a gorgeous brunette

“Now who the fuck is this bitch?” Annie’s face darkens and her fists ball

“Better be some work associate” Ruby grimaces at Beth

“It probably is. Are we going through this again?” Beth asks trying to appear casual

“What?” Annie asks not taking her eyes off the two of them.

“I am not going to care if he is with another women.”

“Right” Annie says drawing out the word “But damn she seems pretty classy.”

Beth lets herself properly assess the women, she was beautiful and definitely gave off an elegant vibe. She finds herself gritting her teeth when Rio leans in to kiss her gently on the cheek, clocking the way his hand rests on her hip as he does so and watches as Rio turns to see them, walking over casually, eyes on Beth. She was unsure if she was angrier about his interaction with this women or her involuntary feeling of pure jealousy at seeing it, this is not how she wanted to feel.

“Although let’s be honest the man definitely bangs dozens of women, minimum.” Annie scoffs stirring Beth from her thoughts

Ruby slaps her arm hard.

“I mean, probably not at the moment” Annie hurriedly tries to correct herself, but it isn’t convincing. “I'm just saying it’s a good thing you are smart enough to use protection”

Beth’s heart pounds in her chest, hoping her cheeks aren’t burning red, not once in any of their interactions had he worn a condom and in truth it hadn't crossed her mind, she was always too caught up in what he was doing to her. She was on the pill so knew the baby aspect wasn’t an issue but the harsh reality that here was a guy who more than likely had a different girl every night really hadn’t crossed her stupid, stupid mind.

“Ladies, how we doing?” He grins approaching them.

“Fine” Annie is curt, arms crossed, and eyes squinted.

Rio’s face briefly flashes with curiosity at the tone then he looks back at Beth

“So, we got some numbers?”

Beth nods and pulls out the folder she had brought, trying not to concentrate on where her mind was but still mentally kicking herself.

He takes it without opening it “Alright. I will let you know” he turns to walk away

“Wait that’s it? We just waited thirty minutes for you when we could have just left it at reception?” letting her anger show.

“You got some sun and refreshing drinks” he keeps walking away ending the discussion.

“Well at least we know you banging him isn’t going to affect the work relationship then” Annie stands up pulling her sunglasses back down over her eyes. “So, I think you might need a bourbon or two, you haven’t got the kids, tonight do you? Let’s hit a bar” Annie walks off without giving Beth a chance to argue, not that she would have.

“I'm in” Ruby offers standing as well

“Sure. I do have to talk to Dorothy first. Will meet you girls there” Yet again Beth wasn’t telling the whole truth, the meeting with Dorothy wasn’t until the next morning but she needed to do two things, get herself to her GP and she wanted a face to face with Rio without the girls there, not impressed with how that had gone down and trying to tell herself it had nothing to do with her feelings when she saw that women.

*

He had agreed to meet her, but she had kept the location neutral this time and decided on the park. She had been to the doctor after the club and tried to reassure herself that he didn’t know her sexual history either, they were both taking risks.  
  
He was late, she had been sat here for twenty minutes waiting for him, trying to think of what she was going to say. When he finally swaggers over to the table, she has only had to wait half an hour.

“No back up?” he asks grinning cheekily and sitting down across from her.

“They wanted to be there considering they are just as involved in the concept”

“Mhm. So where are they now?” he looks around

“They had somewhere to be”

***Rio**

“So, who was your friend?” Beth asks trying to appear casual

“What friend?” He doesn’t give her anything

“The incredibly well dressed one from this morning”

“Why? Jealous, are we?” an amused smirk plays on his lips.

“No. just curious” she blushes clearly embarrassed “I figured if it was business related, I might need to meet her”

The tip of his tongue sits on his top lip as his smirk grows “You aren’t involved in all of my business”

“I know” her blush deepens “I just mean, you could have introduced me”

“Why”

“Why not?” she shoots back, fire leaping into her eyes in defiance.

“You gonna ask me?” he teases

“Ask you what?”

“Ask if I'm sleeping with her”

“Why would I care if you were sleeping with her?”

“I don’t know Elizabeth, why would you?”

“I don’t”

“Right” he responds, knowing full well that if she did ask, he wouldn’t tell her the truth.

“I need to go, I just wanted to know if you had read the numbers yet” she picks up her bag and moves to walk away from the picnic table,

“Not yet, I will let you know” he replies, knowing full well that’s not why she wanted to meet him. She walks off and he can see how annoyed she was even from her stride. She hadn’t asked him, but he could tell it had bothered her both wanting to know and not being able to ask, he really could read her like a book.

He had fucked only one other women since that day in her kitchen. The night he left her wanting him on her porch after talking about carman as cool as he played it, he was raging on the inside, she had this insane ability to make him feel cut down to size. He had sped out of there, headed for the bar and looked for the first strawberry blonde he could find it hadn’t taken much to get her to leave with him, it never did, and he had her on all fours before she could tell him her name. He had spent the entire experience comparing her to Elizabeth, angry at how coarse her skin felt, how over the top her almost porno moaning was and how cheap her perfume smelt. He had kicked her out and spent the next two hours unleashing his frustration onto the boxing bag, livid at himself for letting Elizabeth get this far under his skin.

*

It’s almost as if he had sensed her before he saw her, he was on his usual bar stool enjoying a drink when he turned spotting her. She was wearing a navy dress with white polka dots and like every dress in her wardrobe it was superbly fitted to her curves. She was leaning against the bar her left leg raised behind her as she beamed her order at the bartender and then turned to the guy on her right, seeing how loose and relaxed she looked he guessed she had already had a couple. Rio takes a slow sip of his drink watching as she flirts with stranger, twirling the straw around the drink the bar tender hands her and grinning at the guy as she then sucks the liquid from the end, he is well aware of what she is doing. Trying to prove a point whilst also getting back at him, but being conscious of the reaction she wanted from him didn’t stop the rage building up inside of him. He watches her laugh and talk with the guy, knowing full well she is aware of his eyes on her, she eventually walks away from the bar towards the bathroom and Rio stands up finishing his dink, slamming the empty glass onto the bar a little to hard, he follows her and the choice of bathrooms isn’t lost on him.

She doesn’t seem surprised when he enters and closes the door behind him,

“Something you wanted to talk to me about?” her eyes wide and innocent in her reflection as she continues to apply lipstick.

“What are you doing?” He had tried to check his anger when he went in there, but his face is hardly blank, he can see her lip twitch slightly upward in victory at getting a rise out of him and his anger increases.

“Having a drink”

“Yeah that it?” his jaw hardens as he tries to reign himself back in.

“Yes, why what does it look like?”

He leaps forward spinning her around roughly, fingers digging into her arm as he reefs her towards him, “Looks like you came to my bar to try and prove something” his voice a growl

“What would I be proving? You don’t care who I sleep with do you?”

He grits his teeth, seething at the triumph in her eyes but marveling at the defiant way she juts her jaw up and towards him, challenging him. He pulls her harder into him as he slams his lips down onto hers, biting her bottom lip and tasting the metallic tang of blood. His hand runs down her body and up her dress literally ripping her panties off her, unbuckling his belt and wrenching his jeans down to push his cock into her, relishing her gasp and unpreparedness as he lifts her leg and pushes her against the sink kissing her harder. Her nails claw into his neck as he thrusts into her hard and fast, the sink shaking behind her with the force, neither of them noticing the pounding on the door as someone impatiently waits for the bathroom. He groans into her feeling the sting of her nails piercing the nape of his neck as she clenches around him, drawing him into her deeper with every guttural moan she makes. He groans loudly, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her hip bruising her as he releases feeling her climax with him. He pulls back, their breathing raggard as they stare at each other, her cheeks flushed pink and eyes bright.

“Seriously what the fuck! Open the door!” the angry pounding hadn’t stopped

Rio pulls out of her, dropping her leg and buttoning his pants back up, she smoothes her dress back down and turns to look at the mirror and he sees her lip already fat from where he bit her. His own neck had crescent moons where her nails had dug into him drawing blood, he opens the door and steps to the man behind the voice “Yo we got a fucking problem here?” adrenaline pumping through him, still geared up from the feel of her. The guy steps back, hands raised in surrender as he sees the crazy gleam in Rio’s eyes

“No, I mean, I just needed to take a piss man”

“Well go the fuck outside” Rio pushes him backwards and strides out leaving Beth to embarrassingly apologize to the guy.

***Beth**

When she returns to the bar the guy is still waiting for her, she brushes him off and walks out looking for Rio, but he is gone. She stands out the front waiting for a taxi and her phone buzzes, his name appearing on the message as she climbs in

*She’s my lawyer*

She gives the driver her address and a smile creeps across her lips, whilst a small knot forms in her stomach, what the hell was she doing.


	17. Reckless

“But it’s not for sale” Dorothy is smiling but she looks confused

“I know that Dorothy, I just…” Beth stops herself for a moment, deciding some honesty was the best policy here “Since I have started working here my life has completely changed. This place has changed me, I love it and If I can keep this good feeling going, I will do everything I can to try” her smile is genuine and she wasn’t lying, technically.

The genuine talk always paid off with Dorothy as she smiles warmly at her “Well I was thinking it would be nice if I could move closer to my Derek”

Beth was hoping that she was going to follow this line of thinking

“And with my divorce I will have enough to make you a comfortable offer. I just want something that can be mine” this was another truth, well mostly.

“I will have to think about it”

“Of course, you do. But in the meantime, here is what I am prepared to offer you” she passes a slip of paper over to Dorothy. “I better be getting back to work, but you have a think and let me know” she smiles at her boss again and walks back towards the front of the store out of the back room.

Her phone had been going crazy with calls and texts from Annie and Ruby wanting to know how it was going, she sends off a quick text saying she put the offer to Dorothy and was waiting on a response.

*

Beth hadn’t responded to Rio since the he had text her last night telling her who the mystery women was. She had been surprised not only by his text but a slight relief that came from it, she had chalked it up to abating the jealousy she had felt. She had finished work, had tried to call the kids but couldn’t get through to Dean and was busy pacing the apartment hoping to hear from Dorothy, not that she thought she would tonight, but she couldn’t relax.

Pulling out her phone she opens to his message for what would have to be the tenth time that day, she types out a message then deletes its twice before she finally sends it. She continues pacing and checking her phone but there is no ding back, she walks to the kitchen and reaches for the bottle of bourbon Rio had left when she moved in, she pours a glass and moves to the couch curling her feet under here and turning on the TV willing her mind to be elsewhere.

Two hours and two more drinks later the TV was off, she had tried the kids again it had been a brief distracted call and Jane had been the only one really up for a chat. There was a knock on the door and she pretty much bounds up off the couch, peering through the peephole a small smile begins on her lips as she sees Rio standing on the other side with his hands in pockets and hood half on his head in that annoying way of his.

“No call first?”

“I was workin’ figured this was what your text was really about”

The arrogance of his smile makes her roll her eyes, she grabs the front of his jacket and pulls him into the apartment, enjoying the surprise on his face as she does so.

They are both shiny with sweat and trying to regain their breath as they fall back onto the bed.

“We have to stop doing that” she exhales deeply

“Weren’t you the one who dragged me in? I thought you were done pretending you weren’t into it” he turns his head to look at her

“That’s not what I meant” she hesitates a pink flush creeping up her chest and neck as she thinks how to word this “Stop being so reckless in terms of contraception”

“Oh shit, I just assumed you were on the pill” his eyes widen

“No, I am. I meant for the other reason people generally use it”

He smirks slyly “You got something I should be worried about?”

“I’ve only slept with two people” she says defensively

“Yeah but he slept with how many?”

It stings to hear it even though it was valid point she hadn’t really thought about,

“Yeah my number aint that low” he changes tact realizing he probably shouldn’t have said it.

She scoffs “I bet” trying not to think about what his number is

“But for what you are gettin’ at we are level”

“Dean slept with you too?” she tries to lighten the mood and he breaks into a hearty laugh

“Yeah he aint my type.” He rolls onto his side staring her down “Na I mean Rhea and you, that’s it. I aint stupid enough to risk anything”

“Just usually picking up some high-class ladies then are we”

He grins again “Well they usually aint suburban mums”

“So how could we both be so dumb then?”

“You didn’t exactly have a condom out and ready on that bathroom sink”

She blushes again “You didn’t exactly bring one out”

“I wasn’t quite sure what I was going in there for”

She fixes him with a skeptical face “Really?”

His grin turns cheeky “I mean ok maybe”

She breaks from his intense gaze and looks at the clock across from her, “it’s late”

“It is, you telling me it’s time to leave?”

She hadn’t been, more like giving him the opportunity to leave himself if he wanted “Unless you wanted to sneak out whilst I sleep” her joke falls flat

“That hurt your feelings a little bit?” he teases

“Not even a little” her pride prickles, she instinctively pulls her body back and her face hardens “I meant more there’s two ways you could leave”

“Woah mama I was playin, you really gotta watch that hard react” he drops his hand down to her hip rocking her back towards him

She relaxes slightly into his touch

“So, I'm gonna stay” he circles his fingertips on her hip and then runs them gently up her side making her skin tingle as he reaches her face to gently tuck her hair behind her ear, “Yeah?”

She nods almost imperceptibly, and he cups her cheek pulling her into a kiss.

Beth is woken by consistent knocking on the door, she trips trying to get out of bed her leg still tangled in the sheet.

“Shit” she jumps up trying to hop out of the sheet

Rio is propped up on his elbows chuckling at her trying her hardest to untangle herself, she had pulled most of the covers off as she was trying to get out, he didn’t seem phased to be laying there near naked as someone continues to knock on the door. She throws the sheet back on the bed and grabs her robe, closing the door behind her, hoping its Ruby and not Annie.

“Jeeze Beth you don’t answer your phone? What if something had of happened to the kids?”

It was worse it was Dean.

“Is something wrong with the kids?” her mind goes worst case scenario

“No, they are fine. I just mean I have been trying to call you. We need to talk.”

“Ok about what?”

“Well can I come in?” he holds his hands out confused as to why he is still in the hall

“Uh...sure” she steps back, and he pushes past her into the apartment, quickly scanning down the hall and seeing her bedroom door still shut.

“Its gotta be quick I need to get ready for work”

“Oh right of course” as if he is taking in her robe for the first time “Were you sleeping?”

“No, I was about to get in the shower. Why are you here?”

“I needed to talk to you about Kenny. He is having a hard time dealing with this and when we spoke about this weekend, he said he didn’t want to come here”

She feels her heart break a little but at the same time she wasn’t surprised, every phone call she had had with him recently he had seemed so distant and had rushed off the phone.

“I told him he had to come see you”

“Don’t tell him that, don’t make him come if he doesn’t want to” she doesn’t want her son to be forced to see her.

“Well I just thought it might be a good idea, he has been having such a tough time at school and us separating it just hasn’t helped”

“What’s been going on with him at school?”

“He didn’t tell you? Him and Chris had some kind of fight and now they aren’t hanging out anymore. He won’t tell me why”

He sits down on the stool at the bench, she hadn’t seen him properly in a couple of weeks but he looked like all of this was aging him, she almost felt sorry for him.

“Is someone here?” he has clocked Rio’s sneakers at the door

She pulls her robe tighter around her then realizes she has nothing to be ashamed about, they aren’t together anymore, she didn’t even have to answer him if she didn’t want to

“Yes” she decides to be honest instead

“Right.” Dean stands up “Is this why Kenny doesn’t want to come over?”

Beth exhales angrily “No Dean, Kenny would have no idea. Just to clarify I have never had anybody over here when the kids are here”

“So, there is more than one somebody?” his eyes are burning with jealousy and rage

“If there was Dean it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

“Jesus Christ Beth you have some kind of revolving door here or something?” his voice is rising with his anger

She hears her bedroom door close as Rio walks out barefoot and only in jeans swaggering confidently into the kitchen.

Dean loses all the colour in his face and it seems he almost shrinks in size

“Sup” Rio grins casually at him

Dean doesn’t reply,

“Oh, I'm not interrupting, here am I?” Rio feigns concern and opens the fridge. Beth is confused for a split second, he has never helped himself to anything in her apartment before but then she clicks as to what he is doing, a classic intimidation technique of his, appearing so at home and innocuous can seem more threatening. He pulls out the juice and swigs straight from the carton he pauses “Oh sorry you want some?” he offers it to Dean

Dean shakes his head slowly; Beth can tell he is torn between anger and fear, it's almost like she forgot that Rio had shot him.

He looks back at Beth, a mixture of sadness and disappointment in his eyes then walks towards the door and opening it, he turns back as if he is going to say something but is stopped

"Have a good day Chief" Rio salutes him.

Dean walks out and closes the door behind him and Beth turns to Rio

“What the hell was that”

“What that didn’t help?” Rio grins cheekily at her

“You couldn’t have just stayed in the bedroom?”

“It sounded like he was giving you some shit, thought maybe you needed a hand”

“And that’s your idea of helping?”

His grin widens and its clear he is enjoying this “You rather I stay in the bedroom?”

“Obviousley! And use a glass don’t be grosse” She pulls a glass out of the cupboard and passes it to him, but he shakes his head.

“All done” he closes the carton and puts it back in the fridge “I'm gonna hit the shower” he unbuttons his jeans and starts walking out of the kitchen “You gon join?”


	18. Another Shift

“I got a call from Dorothy; she wants me to come in for a chat”

“Well what are you doing on the phone to me? Get in there!” Annie practically yells

“Would you relax, I am on my way I just thought I would call you to let you know”

“Well, that’s a waste of time call me when you are finished…duh”

Beth rolls her eyes as she spins the steering wheel to turn the corner “I also. Dean came around yesterday morning”

“Uck, what did he want?” her voice muffled through crunching down the phone

“Annie for the millionth time can you please not eat whilst you are on the phone to me”

“Hey, its my breakfast and you called me!”

“Breakfast? It’s 11 o’clock”

“Yeah and I haven’t eaten anything yet so its my breakfast. Not the point. What did Dean want?”

“Kenny is having a tough time of things and he doesn’t want to come to my place”

“Oh, I'm sorry Beth, that is hard”

Beth blinks quickly trying not to think about that part of it “Yes. But that’s not the awkward part”

“Oh?”

“Rio was there”

“What?!” she hears Annie choke down the phone, coughing and spluttering as she tries to regain her breath

“Jesus Annie are you ok?” Beth pulls up at a red light regretting saying anything but knew without a doubt if Dean happened to see Ruby or Annie it would come out anyway, hell he would probably tell Stan.

“Are you?!” Annie practically yells “I thought you said it was a two-night thing”

“Well it was, sort of, it’s not like it’s a common occurrence” still with the lying

“You guys just doing morning hook ups now”

Beth hesitates

“He stayed the night, didn’t he?”

Beth hits the accelerator harder than she should when the light turns green, Annie’s innate ability to pick her apart was infuriating.

“Not intentionally”

“What he accidently fell asleep whilst you two spooned?”

Beth scoffs, despite the sarcasm her sister had nailed it but she wasn’t going to give her this victory.

“Not why I brought it up.”

“Right, we will circle back to that. So did Dean see him?”

“Oh yeah”

“Awkward. How did that go?”

“Awkward…obviously! I wasn’t really anticipating it”

“No of course not how could you anticipate your husband running into your scary criminal lover at any point”

“Annie, that’s not helpful”

“Hey I'm not the one who banged him. Again!”

The screen on Beth’s dash lights up with call waiting “Great and now he Is calling me”

“Gangfriend?”

“No Annie, Dean. I have to go, I will call you after I talk to Dorothy”

“Ok, well hey if Dean is pissing you off maybe just drop a little hint about one of Rio’s moves in bed.”

“Bye Annie”

“Byyyee”

She punches the button a bit to hard and ends the call, accepting Deans.

“Hi Dean”

“Hi Beth, just letting you know we have a meeting with Kenny’s teacher tomorrow”

“Oh ok, good, did you organize it?”

“Yes, I figure it was better to be proactive about this”

“Good, great idea”

“So, will it just be you or is your crime lord boyfriend going to be joining us too?”

She exhales deeply “He is not my boyfriend”

“Oh, so just the crime lord part then. What are you guys calling it? Fuck buddies? I cant believe of all people Beth you would choose that guy. He shot me!”

“Would you rather I go more cliché Dean and pick a secretary?”

“Oh, that’s fair Beth, that was exactly what we were talking about” his tone dripping with sarcasm

“I thought we were talking about sexual choices we have each made, so yep thought it was pretty relevant” she shoots back “Look just text me the time, this is not something I want to be doing right now” she hangs up before he can respond and there is something so satisfying about ensuring she had the last word.

She pulls up a little short out front of the Paper Porcupine and tries to calm herself down before she walks in, praying that at least something might go her way today.

Dorothy smiles when she walks into the shop, but it is to hard to read her decision on her lips

“Morning Beth, you look lovely as always”

“Good morning Dorothy,” she hands over a basket of muffins “I made these for you”

Dorothy smiles and peaks under the tea towel “Ooh oatmeal and blueberry my favourite. Thank you.”

Beth smiles back at her “My pleasure and listen regardless of your choice I would still love to continue working here”

“I'm glad to hear that, you really fit into this place. But I have thought about it and you were right, I'm not here enough anymore and I would love to be closer to my boy. The answer is yes Beth I will take your offer. Just promise me one thing. Please don’t change it to much? I don’t want to see it knocked down and replaced with some online shop business”

It’s like a weight has been lifted and relief sweeps over her, this could open so many doors but the biggest being the opportunity to also go legitimate.

“I promise Dorothy, the only plans I have are for expansion”

“That’s great to hear. I honestly hadn’t thought about retirement before but the more I have now it sounds delightful”

Beth grins back at her, an actual win win was nice to see for a change. After finalizing a few details Beth walks out of the shop and into her car, dialing in Ruby and Annie before she has even started the car.

“So how did Dean go?” Annie answers first

“Dean huh?” Ruby connects in

“Not important, calling to say Dorothy took the offer, ladies we are in business!”

Beth is nearly deafened with their exclamations of excitement down the phone and joins in with them.

***Rio**

“I'm tellin’ you it’s not just him man, it’s a couple of them. If you don’t do something about this soon shit is going to explode”

He looks at Mick, one of the few men whose opinion he took under advisement. “I know. So, let’s deal with it, get the boys in tell em we need to talk”

“You got your head in the game for this or you wanna wait?”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you haven’t exactly been laser focused lately”

“Oh, so when you say some of the boys you mean you?” Rio’s face hardens

“No” Micks answer is resolute “But this cant be news to you. You have been….” He hesitates “Distracted” he settles on finally.

“Yeah, well we have a few new operations on the go” he gestures to the paperwork strewn across the desk

“That’s not what I'm talking about”

The way Mick is staring him down he knows exactly what he is talking about and his jaw tenses and he blinks dangerously slow at him

“I'm just sayin’ you need to...” he stops himself and Rio can tell he knows that even though they came up together he is his boss and Mick needs to watch what he says “Be careful” he finishes.

“Why don’t you go and tell the boys we need to talk” that’s the end of the conversation.

Mick nods and walks out of the office and down the steps back into the warehouse, he wasn’t wrong about the boys, Rio had felt the change since he had made the mistake in dolling out his revenge and knew Mick had spent his own time trying to bring the boys back around. He runs his hands through his short hair, he had let things get on top of him and again Mick wasn’t wrong he hadn’t had his head fully in the game lately, didn’t mean he wanted his number two to be pulling him up on it though. He hadn’t said anything to Mick about Elizabeth, Rio wasn’t one to share details of his personal life, but Mick was far from dumb, there had been things that had slipped through the cracks lately that simply wouldn’t have months ago.

Business was always at the forefront of his mind but when he was with her, he really wasn’t thinking rationally, she sure as shit clouded his judgment so it’s no surprise Mick was picking up on it. He had barely been home in the last two days spending his time between work and her place, he had been particularly distracted yesterday after seeing carman in the morning. He smiles to himself picturing the dumb son of a bitch’s face again, he genuinely looked gob smacked and Rio had thoroughly enjoyed watching the dumbass put it together that it was him that was fucking Elizabeth, a better reaction than when he had shot him even. He stands up and walks to the window, gently pushing down the blind to see his inner circle of boys waiting for him on the floor.

***Beth**

“Three nights in a row, might give me the wrong impression” she jokes answering the door, her smile disappears when she sees his face as he walks into the apartment, it’s bloodied and beginning to bruise “Jesus Rio, you ok?”

“Yeah just a scratch” he is slurring slightly

“What did you do get into a bar fight?”

He shakes his head, “Na, that would have been nice and easy” he almost stumbles to the couch and sits down, head falling into his hands

Beth is stunned, she had seen a few different sides to him so far, but she hadn’t seen him like this, seeing him in an almost blind rage was less confronting than this. She sits down next to him, her leg tucked under her and back a bit so as to give him some space.

“What happened?” she asks softly

“Some bullshit. I fucked up and it came back.” He doesn’t raise his head and exhales deeply “Remember when I took you to that warehouse?”

“Ah yeah” it seemed like a dumb questions, as if she had been taken to many warehouses to see a man shot to death.

“It was an over correct. I was given the wrong information about who the rat was, and the wrong guy paid initially. It hasn’t gone down well.”

This is one of the rare occasions he had opened up about work, but to be fair she wasn’t sure she had seen him in this state before, even when they had had drinks together he was composed, this was different. She doesn’t say anything, not wanting to push him, she hears his phone buzz in his pocket and he ignores it the first time, the third time he pulls it out and she sees Mick’s name on the screen.

“Yep” he answers, standing up and trying to change his tone

Beth leans back on the couch watching as he starts to pace, his whole demeanor changed and he appears stone cold sober, the shift was impressive. She stands and walks into the kitchen, busying herself by pouring a drink so as not to appear to be listening, she clatters with glass cupboard and doesn’t realize he is off the phone until she is pouring in silence.

“You not having one?” he asks playfully gesturing to the one glass

She pulls another glass out of the cupboard and splashes bourbon into it. He drains his a second after she hands it to him

“You ok?” she asks

“Mhm” he wipes at the bourbon on his lips

Beth puts her glass down and walks to the bathroom, digging through the cupboard for the first aid kit, not hearing his footsteps as he follows her.

“Not where I thought this was going”

She rolls her eyes as she unzips the kit and begins pulling stuff out

“Yeah I don’t need any of that”

“It doesn’t make you tough to get an infection”

“Bitches love scars though” he gives her a lopsided grin

“Charming”

She gently dabs above his eye and he creases his face pulling back

“What’s the matter tough guy that hurt?” she mocks

“No, its just that’s not why I came here” but he lets her finish cleaning him up

“Why did you come here?” she balls up the cotton wool and throws it in the bin

He puts his hand on her hip and pulls her towards him “I thought after the last few nights you’d be laying naked waiting on me” his voice low but she still senses something lurking behind his eyes.

“That’s generally what I do when you aren’t here…lay around naked waiting for you to decide to drop in”

He grins at her “Thought so”

“You going to finish telling me what happened?”

“There’s been some work-related issues” he withdraws his hand and walks out of the bathroom “It aint easy being the boss”

“Well, that’s why you get the big bucks” she follows him down the hall “You at least sort it out?”

“Yeah, the good old fashion way”

The cuts and bruises make more sense now. She glances at the clock in the kitchen “I have an early morning tomorrow.” She wasn't going to share why, not wanting to make this night stranger.

“So, you’re saying just a quickie then?” even though he is trying for light and playful there is something about him that cracks and Beth picks up on it, wondering if that was really what he had come over for. She grabs his hand and leads him to her bedroom, enjoying a weirdly almost vulnerable Rio for a moment.

He wraps his arms around her waist pulling her with him back onto the bed, wincing when she lands on top of him and involuntarily letting out a muffled cry of pain.

She pulls back “What was that?”

“Nothing” he tries to smile

She leans back down to kiss him, and he winces again under the weight. She pulls back and eyes him suspiciously, then hurriedly unbuttons his shirt pushing it open and seeing the purple and black bruises across his ribs, she jumps back and off him

“Shit. You didn’t say anything about that”

He leans up on his elbows, “Its just a few bruised ribs” he shrugs

“They look more than bruised”

“It’s nothing” he sits up and gently grabs her wrists, pulling her back down to him but flipping it so he is on top

“Just be gentle” he kisses into her neck, his hands sliding up the sides of her stomach and lifting her shirt over her head as she pushes his off his shoulders, her hands then reaching down to his belt unbuckling it and pushing his jeans down. His lips move down her neck and across her collarbone pulling her bra strap down her arm with his teeth, he tucks his hands behind her back and expertly flicks her bra undone pulling the lacy material down her silky skin and throwing it onto the floor. He moves his mouth to close over her hard nipple biting down gently as she encourages him with her moans, her hands moving to the back of his head as he scrapes his teeth across her breast and down her stomach, fumbling with her pants as he pushes them down to join his on the floor. Beth shuffles up the bed, pulling him with her he pulls back, and she hears him exhale loudly in appreciation as he takes in her naked body. If she had to pinpoint one of her favorite things about sleeping with him, selfishly, it would be the way he looked at her, it made her feel like there wasn’t a couple of years between them and few kids. The hungry way he took her in made her feel like she was in her prime again, she wraps her hands around his neck and pulls him back down to her, feeling him wince slightly with the bend.

He glides his hand down to her hip and tucks it into her thigh spreading her legs as he returns his lips to hers, she drops her hand to his hard cock, grinning against his lips as she feels a bead of precum already on his tip. She guides him into her moaning as he pushes in completely and wraps her legs around him, willing him to go deeper. He slips his hands underneath her lower back propping her up to get a better angle as he thrusts into her hard and slow, pulling back from kissing her to kneel on the bed and she watches as his eyes close in pleasure. Her breath is already erratic but seeing the way his bottom lip tucks under his teeth as he continues fucking her she feels her pulse quicken. She rarely had the chance to watch his reaction as she was often to caught up in what he was doing to her, and god what he was doing was so good. The muscles on his stomach and chest ripple as he increases his speed, she knew the bruised ribs and face really shouldn’t be turning her on but god there was something about the way he didn’t seem at all phased about it that made him that much sexier. Her eyes close involuntarily as she feels her pleasure building, he quickens the pace reading her body easily and lifts her legs higher somehow gaining a deeper angle as she starts to moan his name. His fingers dig into her thighs as his moans meet hers and she feels him cum with her.

*

“Mick was right” he says quietly in the dark, surprising her as she assumed, he had fallen asleep, being moments away from it herself, his body tightly curved around hers, one arm under her and across her chest, the other cradling her hip.

“Right about what?”

“He said I haven’t had my head in the game lately”

Beth smiles “Been too busy thinking about other things, have we?”

“You think you wear smug well?” he teases

“I wouldn’t say smug, but I think being right looks pretty good on me”

He laughs “Know what looks better?” he runs his hand up the side of her naked body

“I have a fair idea of what you are about to say. But I wasn’t lying when I said I have to get up in the morning”

“So, go to sleep”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always loving your feedback :)


	19. To The New Boss

Beth wakes to an empty bed she stretches her arm out, his side is still warm so she must have just missed him, she looks at the clock and remembers she has her meeting with Kenny’s teacher, thankfully no time to dwell on what last night or his absence this morning meant. She flips the covers off and swings out of bed, padding over to the back of her chair where she had already laid her outfit ready for this morning and heads into the shower. Turning on the taps Beth tries to think of the different ways this morning could go selfishly hoping that the issues Kenny is having at school are normal pre-pubescent boy issues and not related to her and Dean’s current situation.

“Not gonna wait for me?”

She jumps at his voice and turns around surprised

“I thought you’d left”

He leans against the door frame in only his boxers, the bruising on his ribs almost looks like it has spread, a deep purple stretching across his caramel skin, his face surprisingly tame in comparison. The tip of his tongue pushes against his teeth as he runs his eyes slowly up her naked body,

“Na, had to take a phone call”

She blushes slightly at his gaze, still not used to the way he can look at her as if it is the first time he is seeing her naked, she instinctively moves her hand to cover her stomach, but he walks towards her

“Thought you were in a rush this morning”

This snaps her out of whatever spell he seems to have over her and reaches for her phone checking the time “Shit I am, I really need to get ready”

He pushes her into the shower and pulls his boxers off “Quick it is”

*

“So, when do you need the cash?” he asks clasping his watch on his wrist

“I will see Dorothy again this afternoon when I go into work, will have a chat with her then. I would have thought the sooner the better”

She flicks her hair out and leans into apply her lip stick. It was an oddly domestic tableau right now, he had watched her dry her hair, smiling as she tipped her head down to dry the back of it. He had stayed the night before sure, but this seemed bordering on dangerous, as if they were just two regular people in the beginning of a relationship. She shakes her head abruptly passing it off as a flick of her hair when that word had entered her mind, that’s not what this was and the word and context had made her cringe. She raises her eyes back to the mirror, meeting his and noticing the smirk on playing on his lips, her face had betrayed nothing but for some reason he had a way of making her think she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

He pulls his shirt on and although it was miniscule, she had clocked him wince as he stretched

“You really should go get checked out” she smacks her lips together and dabs at the corner of her lip with a tissue

“To have them tell me what I already know? Na” he shakes his head

She rolls her eyes at him but doesn’t push it further, definitely not her place to be pushing him to get medical attention.

“I will bring some cash around this afternoon” he finishes buttoning his shirt and pulls his phone out of his pocket, his face hardening. “I got to go” he walks out of the bathroom not lifting his eyes from his phone.

She moves to pick up her hairbrush again, but he walks back into the bathroom catching her off guard and pulling her into him in a fluid motion smearing her perfectly applied lipstick. He releases her, winks at her with a cheeky grin and walks back out of the bathroom eyes back on his phone and she hears him making a call as he walks out the front door.

*

“To the brains of the operation” Ruby raises her glass

Beth grins and clinks her glass against Ruby and Annie’s

“So just to clarify I'm the face, right?” Annie chews the ice from her drink

“huh?” Ruby looks quizzically at her

“Well Beth is the brains then I'm the face?”

“Sweetheart you aren’t even the muscle” Ruby scoffs at her

“Ok well there’s no need to be a bitch about it” Annie sneers back at her

Beth sits back in her seat sipping her drink and letting the two of them bicker, she had had enough of that today. This morning hadn’t been a success as far as Dean was concerned, or Kenny really, the school hadn’t been overly helpful in shedding any light on the matter. They had both agreed that for this weekend coming at least Kenny was going to stay with Dean and Beth was going to stay for a chat when the kids got dropped off on Sunday. Having a somewhat resolution for how to handle their eldest son hadn’t stopped Dean from bringing Rio up again once they had left the school grounds.

“Well?” Ruby clicks in her fingers in Beth’s face interrupting her thoughts

Beth blinks quickly bringing herself back to the conversation at hand “Sorry I missed that?”

“When do we take over?” Ruby repeats

“Oh, well as soon as all the contracts are signed, and Dorothy has the cash. She was looking forward to a pretty quick settlement.” Beth finishes her drink

“Interrupting some dirty flash-backs, are we?” Annie smirks at her

Beth rolls her eyes but also tinges pink even though that hadn't been what she was thinking about.

“You know I am going to need some details soon. How many times has it been now?” Ruby asks cheekily

“Just four” Beth says quickly to try and move onto another topic, when she sees Annie cock an eyebrow, she realizes her mistake

“Four huh?” Annie fiddles with the stirrer in her drink “I thought you said it was only three times”

That was the trouble with deceiving people, the truth was far easier to keep straight than lies and she hadn’t been focused enough to concentrate on it.

She shakes her head trying to appear casual, “I meant three, whose to say” she shrugs but her sister eyes her knowingly.

Ruby is at least a good enough friend to let this part of the conversation slip past but makes the unmistakable scoff of disbelief before going back to her drink.

Beth’s phone vibrates and she sees Rio’s name flash on the message, she had text him earlier but had only gotton back one word, _work_. She wasn’t feeling to inclined to respond to his message now with any details other than a simple _out_ , she can picture without a doubt that god damn smirk on his face as he reads it knowing he can pick her motive. She slips the phone back into her bag determined not to think about him and instead enjoy her night with her girls.

* **Rio**

Rio rolls over for the millionth time, trying to get comfortable, it doesn’t work, the clock has ticked over to 3am, two minutes past the last time he looked. He exhales angrily and bounds out of bed giving up. He stalks to the room at the back of the loft to take his frustration out on the punching bag, it doesn’t work, every hit seems to wind him up even more until he is gritting his teeth and his knuckles are bloody, he really should have put gloves or the very least tape on. He delivers one last punch and angrily storms out of the room to sit on the couch, not even registering for how long until the sun starts to peak through the window, it had been a long night, but it had definitely given him clarity.

Rio had never been dumb enough to mess around with drugs. He had always had a mind for business and that mind already knew you don’t play with your product. He had however seen his fair share of junkies and knew the behavior from a hundred miles away, being with her again and again he had become addicted and spending so much time in her bed this last week had been the equivalent of a binge. Not seeing her tonight had him jonseing for her, skin itching, and he didn't like the feeling of losing control much less someone else having it over him.

He needed some distance, get his head clear otherwise who knows what the next fuck up he makes would be. He pulls out his phone and dials Rhea, figuring he may as well take advantage and take his son away and treat him, Mick can sort the boys whilst he is gone.

He finishes his call and turns his phone off, throwing it on the bed, he packs a bag then moves to his bedside table grabbing his other phone out of the draw.

* **Beth**

His phone once again goes to voicemail, she isn’t calling him again adamant that four times was her limit before she starts to look obsessed, she regrets calling this many, she won’t even bother texting. Instead, she reaches for the remote and flicks through some channels not even paying attention to what’s on offer. Sighing she stands up and walks into her bedroom, checking her phone again as she does, still nothing, she opens her drawers and for the first time, with an empty house that is, in over a week she pulls out a pair of pajamas and gets herself ready for bed, trying to ignore how strange it feels to go to bed alone.

She looks over at the empty side of the bed, annoyed with herself that it is even bothering her not hearing back from him. Against her better judgment, which seems to be the only way her judgment is going these days, she reaches for her phone again. Still nothing. She slams her hands down either side of her not sure if she is more annoyed that she checked or that despite having clean sheets she swears she catches his scent in her bed. Was he not replying because she had blown him off last night? Or was it more related to why he had come to her place covered in bruises the other night, she tries to shake this thought off as of course he knew how to handle himself.

*

“Hey mama”

Beth looks up from the till she is counting, she hadn’t heard the bell go at the front door but then again, she was three glasses in and trying to figure out why she was eighty dollars down. Despite the issue with the money, it felt so nice to think of it as _her_ being eighty dollars down, Dorothy had been quick to settle once presented with a big old bag of cash and Beth was her third day in of being the new Paper Porcupine boss, even if there was still some legal bits and bobs to tie up neatly. She is a little bit stunned when his voice had interrupted her counting; she hadn’t heard from him in over a week and now he was smiling casually as if he hadn’t disappeared. It made her angry that he looked so good, he’d mixed up his usual dark attire and was wearing a white T-shirt under a grey hooded sweatshirt, his ringed fingers running up his palm as he looks at her.

“Hi” she replies coldly, him looking so good had thrown her off only momentarily.

“Not pleased to see me?”

She shrugs trying to appeal non-committal and most of all trying not to let her anger show.

He leans against a work bench and scrunches up his mouth slightly fixing her with one of his long stares, trying to read her.

“How’s business?”

“It’s fine” she doesn’t offer anything else

He nods and pushes off the bench, hands in pockets as he walks slowly towards her.

“I need to finish counting” she looks back down at the notes strewn in front of her and tries to count again.

“Right”

He stops walking towards her, but she can feel him staring at her, she uses every inch of will power to force herself to keep her eyes focused on the money.

“I’ll leave you to it then”

She nods in response and doesn’t look up until she hears the bell at the front door ding. Not the most mature approach she knew that, but she had been caught off guard. He had gone from spending every night with her to ghosting her for over a week, she didn’t know what they were but that had certainly hurt her pride at the very least. He didn’t get to turn up and proceed with small talk like he hadn’t gone MIA on her, at least he didn’t get to turn up and have her reciprocate it. She finishes her count for the third time and is still eighty down, figuring she will deal with it in the morning she stacks the money and slides it into an envelope in her handbag. She walks to the front door and sets the alarm, a new but necessary addition under new management, then walks to her car spotting him parked across the street, eyes on his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always beautiful people thankyou for the comments and kudos


	20. Restoring Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies as it has been a while and this is brief but all going well the frequency of the updates should return :)

Beth stalks over to his car, emboldened by the bourbon and anger that had built inside of her. She uses two knuckles to rap on the window purposefully, his window rolls down, but his eyes remain on his phone as if he knew it was her or he was arrogant enough not to be worried about who was knocking on his window, she shakes her head as either option annoy her.

“You weren’t at least going to say where you have been?” She doesn’t bother dancing around it

He lazily looks up from his phone “Away.”

“Didn’t have your phone?”

“I’ve told you I don’t do business when I'm on vacation”

She thinks she sees a flicker of regret cross his face as he says this, but she can’t be sure, her face had definitely betrayed her if only for a second as that comment had hurt. Hadn’t he been the one pushing her to drop her guard around him? The one that kept appearing night after night at her door.

“So, this was what? Some kind of business move? Power play to put me in my place?”

He puts his phone down, briefly tucking his bottom lip under his teeth as if he is momentarily deciding what to say.

“Because I didn’t call?”

She exhales heavily, frustrated “When you say it like that it sounds stupid”

“How would you say it?” his lips twitch into a tiny smirk 

Her eyes narrow at the amused expression on his face “I would say you turn up at my door every night for like a week, and then essentially vanish.”

He doesn’t respond just looks at her thoughtfully

“And then don’t answer my calls” she adds quietly, feeling as though she had to fill the silence yet mentally cringing at how desperate that last part sounded.

He nods slowly even though there was nothing to really agree with in her statement, she is however surprised he is being kind enough not to jump on her vulnerability. He opens the door, forcing her to move backwards as he climbs out of the car and leans against it.

“I needed to get my head straight” he says finally

Even though she had strode over with purpose demanding an answer his eventual honesty still throws her

“Oh” is all she can respond, her eyes dropping under his penetrative stare

“I could have called” he finally concedes

She nods then returns to meet his gaze, his agreeance was reassuring and despite the occasions he had already shown her he can be honest with her it was still disarming.

“You good?” he asks

Without thinking she nods but its not overly convincing, it could be the drinks she had earlier or the number of times she had gone over a conversation in her head this past week, but she stops

“Actually no, not really. I don’t like being this person, I am not overly impressed with myself that I'm acting like this” she rolls her eyes at his smug smile in return “I'm really not. And I am not saying that I need to know where you are or anything crazy like that, I'm not your wife I just…its not a nice feeling to go from being wanted to being ignored.” She tinges pink in embarrassment at her rambling

“I get that” his voice is soft “I didn’t want you to feel like that”

“Yet you ignored my calls anyway” this is half hearted

“I didn’t have my phone. I took Marcus away”

“Right” she straightens, just clicking to what he had said “What do you mean get your head straight?”

He chuckles slightly as if he thought she wasn’t going to clock it.

“I haven’t been focusing on business lately. I needed to take a break, re-evaluate and get my priorities in order”

Her eyes flash dark, anger and humiliation seething through her, why had she even bothered to walk over to him

“Right so you could have just said that” her tone cold and she turns to walk away, stopping when he grabs her hand,

“Elizabeth, I…” he hesitates “The last few weeks my head has been anywhere but the game and I’ve been letting shit slip through. It’s not going to be good for anyone if it keeps happening. That includes you being a business partner now”

“Considerate of you to think of me in that regard” her hand is still in his grip and she tries not to focus on the pad of his thumb gently circling the inside of her wrist. He pulls her closer into him, inches from her face

“Trust me, you would rather have me focusing on business right now” he says softly, scanning her face for a reaction

“It kind of seemed like it was your idea to be multitasking”

He lets out a low chuckle “Yeah” he uses his index finger to brush her bangs slowly from her face, she instinctively leans up into him, relishing the intimate way he tucks her hair behind her ear. “Looks like you’ve done real good with the business” his voice gentle

“Mick has your cut. Just the first one so far” all bitterness gone from her voice

“I know, that’s why I said you’ve been doing a good job”

“Of course, you kept your eye on the money”

He grins at her in response, his hand lingering, fingers still behind her ear as he stares at her

“I thought you got your head straight?” she smiles slightly at him, feeling the way his eyes burn into her she no longer feels insecure.

“I have, it’s all about priorities”

“Right.”

“Gotta keep business in check” his hand finally moves to cup her cheek and he closes the remaining space between them to kiss her, she melts into him relishing his soft lips on hers.

“Clearly doing a good job of that” she reluctantly pulls herself inches back an inch have a dig

“I meant more I need to stay at my own place more.” He pulls her back into him, his hand snaking up her neck and into her hair.

Beth once again sinks into him but only for a moment until she registers what’s happening and forces herself to pull back, putting her hand on his chest and gently pushing him away.

He tilts his head sideways and looks at her puzzled

“Just want to keep your head straight, you did say you needed to stay at your own place more” she walks away from him without turning back, a satisfied smile appearing on her face when she hears an involuntarily chortle behind her, at least she had some power back.


End file.
